Trivalent gC2/gD2/gE2 mRNA (UPenn)
Also known as: Friedman–Weissman trivalent, UPenn HSV-2 trivalent mRNA-LNP
preclinical University of Pennsylvania (Friedman & Weissman labs); licensed to BioNTech
Last updated:
| Developer | University of Pennsylvania (Friedman & Weissman labs); licensed to BioNTech |
|---|---|
| Platform | mRNA |
| HSV target | HSV-2 |
| Approach | prophylactic |
| Phase | preclinical |
| Status | Academic preclinical program. Strong protection in animal models (mice, guinea pigs, non-human primates). Its clinical development is BioNTech's BNT163, now in a Phase 1 trial. |
| Trials |
An academic mRNA vaccine from the University of Pennsylvania (Harvey Friedman and Drew Weissman) that targets three HSV-2 glycoproteins — gC2, gD2, and gE2. It has shown strong protection against genital herpes in animal models but has not itself been tested in a registered human trial. Penn licensed the technology to BioNTech, whose Phase 1 candidate BNT163 is the clinical form of this approach.
What it is
This is the academic research program behind much of the current mRNA herpes- vaccine effort. Developed at the University of Pennsylvania by the labs of Harvey Friedman and Drew Weissman (the latter a Nobel laureate for the mRNA work underlying COVID-19 vaccines), it is a trivalent mRNA vaccine: it encodes three HSV-2 surface proteins — glycoproteins gC2, gD2, and gE2. The design aims to block the virus from entering cells (via gD2) and to neutralize two of the ways HSV evades the immune system (via gC2 and gE2).
Where it stands
This program is preclinical — its published results come from animal studies (mice, guinea pigs, and non-human primates), not human trials. In those models it provided strong protection against genital disease, including reductions in subclinical viral shedding, and has been studied both to prevent infection and, in guinea pigs, to reduce recurrences in already-infected animals. Animal results, however promising, are not clinical results.
The University of Pennsylvania licensed this trivalent technology to BioNTech. Its clinical form is the candidate BNT163, which is in a Phase 1 trial. In other words, this entry and BNT163 are two stages of the same scientific lineage — the academic origin here, the in-human testing there — not two independent vaccines.
Key literature
Sources
- Nucleoside-modified mRNA encoding HSV-2 glycoproteins C, D, and E prevents clinical and subclinical genital herpes
- Trivalent nucleoside-modified mRNA vaccine yields durable memory B cell protection against genital herpes in preclinical models
- Safety and Immunogenicity of BNT163, a Trivalent mRNA HSV Vaccine Candidate for Genital Herpes (abstract P-105)