Triangle, NC — June 11, 2025 – Immorna
Biotherapeutics, Inc., a leader in RNA-based therapeutics and vaccines,
highlights its state-of-the-art mRNA vaccine platform in the open-access report Development of an Influenza/COVID-19
Combination mRNA Vaccine Containing a Novel Multivalent Antigen Design That
Enhances Immunogenicity of Influenza Virus B Hemagglutinins published in MDPI Vaccines:
Website: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-393X/13/6/628
PDF Version: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-393X/13/6/628/pdf
The development of the mRNA-based seasonal influenza
vaccines remains challenging, in part because of the relatively low
immunogenicity of influenza B hemagglutinin (HA) antigens. The described systematic vaccine development
strategy combined optimized vector and antigen designs. Novel untranslated region (UTR) sequences and
a hybrid poly(A) tail were used to increase plasmid stability and mRNA
expression. HA antigens were engineered
to enhance the immune responses against influenza B lineage strains and to
permit the expression of multiple HA ectodomains from a single mRNA strand. The vaccine performance was verified in a
traditional encapsulated lipid nanoparticle (LNP) formulation that requires
long-term storage at temperatures below -15 °C as well as in a proprietary
thermo-stable ready-to-use RTU LNP formulation developed for the long-term
storage of the mRNA vaccines at 2–8 °C. The
RTU LNP technology has already been validated in Immorna’s clinical stage programs
including JCXH-221, mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, JCXH-105, srRNA Shingles vaccine,
and JCXH-108, an mRNA RSV candidate vaccine
supported by a grant from the Gates Foundation.
In preclinical studies, the next-generation seasonal
influenza vaccine tested alone or as a combination influenza/COVID-19 mRNA
vaccine elicited hemagglutination inhibition (HAI) titers significantly higher
than Fluzone HD®, a commercial inactivated influenza vaccine
comparator, across all 2024/2025 seasonal influenza strains, including the
B/Victoria lineage strain. At the same
time, the combination mRNA vaccine demonstrated superior neutralizing antibody
titers to 2023/2024 Spikevax, a commercial COVID-19 mRNA vaccine. The published data demonstrate that the
multimerization of antigens expressed as complex fusion proteins is a powerful
antigen design approach that may be broadly applied toward mRNA vaccine
development.
"This publication validates our novel approach to combination
influenza/COVID-19 mRNA vaccine development, demonstrating excellent
immunogenicity and stability," said Dr. Marcin Bungo, VP
Head of RNA Development. "Our
findings highlight the potential of multivalent antigen design strategies to
simplify vaccine manufacturing and improve efficacy of next-generation mRNA
vaccines. We extend our gratitude to Immorna
R&D teams and collaborators, whose contributions were instrumental in
achieving this milestone."
The
MDPI Vaccines report underscores Immorna’s commitment to RNA vaccine innovations that
address key challenges in infectious disease prevention.
About
Immorna
Immorna
is a rapidly expanding biotechnology company, focusing on the development of
RNA-based therapeutics and vaccines. Immorna is utilizing multiple RNA
platforms, including conventional, self-replicating and circular RNA. Since its
founding in 2019, Immorna has built a robust CMC platform for RNA synthesis,
purification, and analytical testing that is well suited for clinical and
commercial development. In addition, with its state-of-the-art screening tools,
Immorna has developed an arsenal of RNA delivery vehicles, including polymers
and lipid nanoparticles featuring multiple proprietary ionizable cationic
lipids suitable for intramuscular, intravenous and tissue-targeting delivery.
Immorna has a growing intellectual property portfolio and a diverse clinical
and R&D pipeline spanning cancer immunotherapy, infectious diseases, rare
genetic diseases, and medical cosmetology.