BioDiem viral vector research clears first hurdle

BioDiem (ASX:BDM) and French partner VIVALIS have reached two significant milestones in their work towards the development of a new viral vector.

The partners have been able to demonstrate that BioDiem's Live Attenuated Influenza Virus (LAIV) is able to grow in VIVALIS' EB66 cell line.

BioDiem and VIVALIS will now trial techniques to modify the LAIV virus to create blank vectors containing antigens that can be customised to fight specific diseases.

Priority disease targets include nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) – a form of throat cancer – and respiratory syncytial virus infection.

Both LAIV and the EB66 cell line have both been used to produce vaccines separately.

The LAIV vaccine platform involves combining genes from the non-virulent LAIV with a wild strain virus. This creates a virus that cannot be spread in the body, but still allows the immune system to build up a response surface antigens of the targeted virus.

LAIV was originally developed to produce a nasal spray vaccine for seasonal and pandemic influenza. BioDiem also licenses the technology to several companies, and fees from these deals are a significant contributor to its earnings.

Besides its partnership with VIVALIS, BioDiem is also engaged in a collaborative research program with RMIT to explore using the platform to develop vaccines against viruses linked to cancers including NPC.

BioDiem (ASX:BDM) shares were trading unchanged at $0.065 as of around 3pm on Tuesday.