Preclinical Data Showing Strong Immunogenicity and Protection with IMUNON’s PlaCCine DNA-Based Vaccines Modality Available Online on bioRxiv

LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J., Aug. 07, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- IMUNON, Inc. (NASDAQ: IMNN), a clinical-stage drug-development company focused on developing non-viral DNA-mediated immunotherapy and next-generation vaccines, announces that a manuscript titled “Strong immunogenicity & protection in mice with PlaCCine: A COVID-19 DNA vaccine formulated with a functional polymer,” is available on the preprint server bioRxiv [here]. The study used IMUNON’s proprietary formulation against the spike proteins from two SARS-CoV-2 variants, both alone and in combination. These results add to the growing body of preclinical data confirming the efficacy and superior desirable features of the IMUNON’s PlaCCine vaccine modality.

Data from the study show:

• IMUNON’s proprietary formulation of functionalized polymer protected DNA from degradation, while the combination with an adjuvant led to an increase in protein expression.
• DNA formulated with PlaCCine resulted in a DNA vaccine product that was stable for up to one year at 4°C.
• DNA formulated in PlaCCine resulted in the induction of spike-specific neutralizing antibodies and cytotoxic T cells.
• In the in vivo challenge model, the vaccine-induced immune response was capable of suppressing viral replication.
• Multiple inserts can be cloned into the PlaCCine backbone (a plug-and-play strategy), therefore allowing for an immune response with broader protection.
  

“We are delighted our manuscript was selected for preprint and that the findings are now available to the scientific community,” said Dr. Corinne Le Goff, president and chief executive officer of IMUNON. “Data from this murine study confirm PlaCCine’s potential to address SARS-CoV-2 pathogens and mutations both as a primary vaccine and as a booster. We expect that the plug-and-play capability we demonstrated, along with the ability to incorporate multiple antigens in a single plasmid, will be valuable in formulating a seasonal vaccine. Importantly, a vaccine that is stable at standard refrigerated temperatures for up to a year holds great commercial promise, especially in geographies lacking the infrastructure to support the special handling needs of mRNA vaccines.”