A launchpad for preventions and treatments
AstriVax Therapeutics’ technology originated at the KU Leuven Rega Institute with the academic work of Prof. Johan Neyts and Dr. Kai Dallmeier. CEO Hanne Callewaert – who co-founded the company after previous leadership positions with GSK Vaccines and Oxurion – explains: “There are several aspects that make our platform truly special. Firstly, our vaccines and immunotherapies are easy to produce, using a fermentation process similar to brewing and applicable to all products being developed on the platform. This allowing fast-track development. The resulting products are heat-stable for some time, meaning we are able to get shots from the factory to patients quickly and efficiently, even in tropical regions.”
The AstriVax Therapeutics’ platform uses plasmid-launched live attenuated viruses to create immunotherapy treatments that stimulate strong immune responses in the body, including the activation of T-cells. “This polyfunctional immune response results in broad and long-lasting protection against future infections (in the case of our prophylactics) and to treat infections (in our immunotherapies).”
The technology is also versatile: thanks to the plug-and-play nature of the platform, AstriVax Therapeutics is able to quickly develop a wide range of products for various infectious diseases, enabling rapid responses to new pathogens and evolving threats. “Our platform is able to address several significant global challenges in vaccines and therapeutics,” Callewaert states, proudly.
Impactful immunotherapies
Less than two years after its creation, AstriVax Therapeutics graduated from academic spin-out to clinical-stage company. Its first-in-human clinical trial is simultaneously testing two different preventive vaccines – yellow fever and rabies – at two world-class clinical trial sites in Belgium: the Centre for Vaccinology (Ghent) and Vaccinopolis (Antwerp). “Given it’s the very first time the technology is administered to humans, this study is helping to clinically validate our platform, serving as a solid stepping stone for advancing the immunotherapies in our pipeline,” Callewaert says.
AstriVax Therapeutics is currently raising a new round of funds to support the clinical development of its first therapeutic products, using the same technology employed in its vaccines to create immunotherapies capable of clearing chronic viral infections. The company’s lead asset is a functional cure for Hepatitis B, Callewaert shares: “There are 250 million people worldwide affected by Hepatitis B, and over a million people die every year from resulting liver cirrhosis or cancer. At the moment, the only hepatitis B treatments available use antivirals to inhibit viral production, but they don’t clear the infection itself from the liver.”
This is where AstriVax Therapeutics’ technology can help, she says: “We can create an immunotherapy capable of being part of the combination treatment to achieve a functional cure by removing the infected cells, something which the current standard of care cannot do.” The company is planning to launch phase 1 of the clinical trial in five different European countries in 2025.
Curing cervical cancer
The company’s second immunotherapy is similarly aiming to achieve a cure in another chronic viral infection: human papillomavirus (HPV), the world’s leading cause of cervical cancer. About 15 years ago, an efficacious HPV vaccine was developed which has drastically reduced the incidence of cancer in the women who received it. But as Callewaert points out, this group is still a small minority: “Only about 18% of US women will have been vaccinated by 2030, and the figures are similar in many other countries. This is because the HPV vaccine has mainly been given to high-school girls, so most women over the age of thirty-five remain unprotected, resulting in a significant percentage of the global population still at risk of cervical cancer.”
Although the body’s immune system is often capable of clearing HPV, certain high-risk strains can result in persistent infections, causing lesions which may eventually turn cancerous. “In these intervening stages, there is often little doctors can do other than watch and wait,” Callewaert explains. “This leads to months of anxious uncertainty between HPV+ diagnosis for the women living with the knowledge that they may have a tumor growing within them. These are the women we’re hoping to help with our HPV immunotherapy.” AstriVax’ HPV program is currently still in a pre-clinical stage, but the company is confident it will enter the clinic by the end of 2026.
Shooting for the stars
When asked about her dreams for AstriVax Therapeutcs’ future, Callewaert is ambitious: “Other companies have demonstrated that immunotherapies are capable of reducing the viral load of pathogens like Hepatitis B and HPV, but they have struggled to achieve truly effective results. We believe that – thanks to our vector’s unique dual ability to induce a T-cell response and neutralize antibodies – our technology can be best-in-class in clearing viruses and achieving a functional cure.”
While raising funds for the clinical development of its current candidates, Callewaert is already thinking ahead to the vast potential possibilities for the company’s pipeline. “There are many indications on our wish list. We’re daring to dream big: by clearing infections and preventing cancer, we could help hundreds of millions of people around the world. That’s the kind of impact we are aiming for.”
