AMV602, a vaccine candidate for the prevention of infections caused by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), triggers effective immune protection against RSV, even at reduced doses, according to [removed]new preclinical data[/removed] released by manufacturer AmVac AG.

AmVac has already established initial proof-of-concept and is currently evaluating three variants of the vaccine — AMV601, -602 and -603 — in order to select the most promising one for further development.

Preclinical studies confirmed AMV602’s excellent safety and efficacy, showing that even reduced doses of the vaccine triggered effective immune protection against RSV. Researchers also significantly expanded the database concerning the vaccine’s therapeutic mode of action.

A detailed analysis of immunological parameters further substantiated its ability to activate the two mechanisms of immune defense at the same time: the humoral immune response with antibodies as key players, and the cellular immune response with macrophages, natural killer cells and specific cytotoxic T cells as effectors.

“This mode of action clearly differentiates our vaccine from other development projects in this field. It is the likely explanation for the unique combination of safety and efficacy,” said Melinda Karpati, CEO of AmVac. “This makes us confident that we will be able to protect premature babies, infants and other risk groups from RSV infections in the foreseeable future. Recent outbursts of RSV in a number of hospitals have dramatically shown how threatening the infection can be in these individuals.”