X-Vax Technology, Inc. (X-VAX®), a biotechnology company developing vaccines based on a new approach that mediates the killing of infected cells, today announced the appointment of Isaac Blech as Vice Chairman of the company's board of directors. As a co-founder of X-VAX, Mr. Blech previously served on the company's Board until December 2019.
"Isaac is an accomplished biotechnology entrepreneur and investor with deep knowledge and experience," said Ian Clark, Chairman of X-VAX. "We welcome Isaac back to the Board of Directors, as his insights gained from establishing some of the leading biotechnology companies in the world are beyond valuable."
"I am honored to serve once again with such a dedicated and outstanding board and executive management," said Isaac Blech. "I am excited about the prospect of beating herpes, and I look forward to working with the team as we advance the lead vaccine program and prepare for a Phase 1 clinical study."
Isaac Blech joins the X-VAX Board alongside seven other high-profile scientific and industry executives. Over the past forty years, Mr. Blech established some of the leading biotechnology companies in the world including Celgene Corporation, ICOS Corporation, Nova Pharmaceutical Corporation, Pathogenesis Corporation, and Genetics Systems Corporation. These companies have produced major advances in a broad array of diseases, including the diagnosis of chlamydia, herpes, syphilis and HIV, and the treatment of cystic fibrosis, sexual dysfunction, multiple myeloma and brain cancer.
About herpes, a global epidemic
There is no approved vaccine for herpes simplex. Herpes simplex virus is categorized into 2 types: herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2). More than 3.7 billion people under the age of 50 around the world are infected with HSV-1, while over 400 million have HSV-2.1, 2 Neonatal infection can be devastating, at 60% fatality without treatment.3 Other complications include encephalitis or meningitis (inflammation of the brain or the tissue that covers the brain and spinal cord), and infectious blindness. HSV-2 is also known to contribute significantly to the spread of HIV.4 Antiviral drug therapy shows only moderate efficacy and comes with significant side effects.5 Attempts to develop an effective vaccine have repeatedly failed.
About X-Vax Technology, Inc.
We are a biotech company committed to developing vaccines against pathogens acquired by mucosal infection such as herpes. Our research leads us to believe that the new approach we are taking could succeed in defeating herpes. We have created a candidate herpes vaccine that we call ?gD-2 (delta gD-2) because it is based on an HSV-2 virus genetically deleted for glycoprotein D (gD-2). With it, we have been able to prevent infections caused by herpes type 1 (HSV-1) and type 2 (HSV-2) in multiple preclinical models. The vaccine induces Fc receptor activating antibodies that mediate antibody-dependent cell-mediated killing (ADCK) as the primary mechanism of protection. ADCK is induced to flag infected cells for destruction by natural immune cells. 6, 7
