Maryland, US-based biotech company VLP Therapeutics, Inc. (VLPT) announced today that it has been awarded an investment totaling 885 million yen (about US$6 million) from the Global Health Innovative Technology (GHIT) Fund for a Phase I clinical trial of novel dengue virus-like-particle (VLP) vaccines. VLPT will share the funding (RFP-PD-2024-001) with its collaboration partners, Johns Hopkins University in the US and Nagasaki University in Japan, to co-develop vaccines against dengue fever, which is a global public health issue with half of the worldwide population at risk of infection.

Capitalizing on the pre-clinical studies made possible by GHIT Fund support in 20161 and 20182, VLPT has developed a tetravalent dengue VLP vaccine that shows efficacy against all four serotypes in mice and monkeys3. The cGMP4-grade production of the investigational drugs is now underway in preparation for the clinical studies to evaluate the safety, immunogenicity, and efficacy of the vaccine.

“Dengue is one of the most serious public health problems worldwide, with ~50% of the world’s population at risk of infection. It has been our hope to create a next-generation dengue vaccine that is safe, highly effective and affordable for all populations,” says Dr. Wataru Akahata, CEO and founder of VLPT. “To protect everyone from this globally expanding disease, we have now developed a novel, tetravalent dengue vaccine candidate using our VLP technologies. In clinical stages going forward, we plan to demonstrate the safety and efficacy, scale the production, and determine the optimal dose for inducing long-lasting immunity.”

  1. Development of novel dengue virus-like particle (VLP) vaccines against all four serotypes
  2. The development and production of cGMP lots of a novel tetravalent dengue virus-like particle (VLP) vaccine
  3. April 22, 2024: [News Release] VLP Therapeutics makes dengue vaccine that induces antibodies, reduces replication in monkeys: Taking a step closer to next-gen dengue vaccine [Journal of Virology]
  4. cGMP: Current Good Manufacturing Practice regulations enforced by the FDA.

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About VLP Therapeutics: VLP Therapeutics, Inc. (VLPT), co-founded in 2013 by Drs. Wataru Akahata, Ryuji Ueno, and Sachiko Kuno, is a Maryland, US-based biotech company with a mission to address unmet medical needs worldwide and expand the frontiers of vaccine treatment. VLPT is currently engaged in research and development of a cancer treatment vaccine as well as prophylactic vaccines against infectious diseases including malaria, dengue, and influenza.

About The Global Health Innovative Technology Fund: The GHIT Fund is a Japan-based international public-private partnership (PPP) fund that was formed between the Government of Japan, multiple pharmaceutical companies, the Gates Foundation, Wellcome, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The GHIT Fund invests in and manages an R&D portfolio of development partnerships aimed at addressing neglected diseases, such as malaria, tuberculosis, and neglected tropical diseases, which afflict the world’s vulnerable and underserved populations. In collaboration with global partners, the GHIT Fund mobilizes Japanese industry, academia, and research institutes to create new drugs, vaccines, and diagnostics for malaria, tuberculosis, and neglected tropical diseases.

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