CMV or Human Cytomegalovirus

In the developed world, CMV infects 50-80% of adults before they reach their fortieth birthday and around 30% of children under five years old. It is even more widespread in developing countries. Infection is typically asymptomatic and not harmful to healthy individuals. However, the virus can cause serious complications in groups with weak immune systems such as elderly people, transplant recipients and infants infected in utero. In these patients, infection can cause severe and life-threatening complications including birth defects and organ failure.

Congenital CMV occurs when CMV is transferred from a pregnant woman to her foetus in utero and has a very high disease burden. In many parts of the world it is second only to cerebral palsy as a cause of serious infant malformation. In the United States 5,000 infants each year develop permanent conditions including deafness, blindness and neurologic disorders from CMV.  Overall, it affects more live births in the US than Foetal Alcohol Syndrome or Down’s and is estimated to generate over $2 billion in healthcare costs annually.

It is estimated that the CMV vaccine market could exceed $1 billion of sales annually.

We have reached the pre-clinical process development stage in under two years. A final vaccine candidate has been selected from the lab and both the virus-like particle (VLP) and the CMV antigen are currently being manufactured to Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) to initiate Phase 1 clinical trials in 2021.