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In Cell Art of France, a biotechnology company involved in macromolecular drug-delivery systems (siRNA, DNA and proteins), has announced that it has expanded its research collaboration agreement with Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of Sanofi Aventis Group, in order to evaluate In Cell Art nanocarrier technologies in the context of Sanofi Pasteur’s vaccines programme.
“In Cell Art is very pleased to enter into this expanded agreement with Sanofi Pasteur, a world leader in human-health vaccines. This agreement highlights In Cell Art’s breakthrough nanocarrier technologies for new vaccine development,” explain Chloé Bellocq, CEO, and Bruno Pitard, co-founder of In Cell Art.
The ICA614 nanocarrier – a breakthrough DNA synthetic formulation – features unique, efficient and industrial characteristics, including a dramatic enhancement of the immunogenicity of plasmid DNA-encoding tumour or pathogen-derived antigens, a reduction of the dose of plasmid DNA, and an excellent safety profile.
The ICA614 nanocarrier is currently in use, or being tested, by major players in vaccine development, as it represents an important step towards the development of DNA vaccines. In Cell Art has, furthermore, demonstrated that the ICA614 nanocarrier can increase the immunogenicity of subunit vaccines with recombinant proteins.
In the absence of a recombinant antigen, ICANtibodies® allows, from an in silico DNA antigenic sequence, the production of the most ambitious antibodies against any chosen antigen. ICANtibodies® is particularly suitable for high throughput antibody screening using a multivalent immunisation protocol, thus leading to the rapid identification of antibodies of therapeutic or diagnostic interest.
In Cell Art is also pursuing highly promising approaches in the field of DNA-based therapeutic and prophylactic vaccines, with successful studies in animal models of cancers and infectious diseases. In Cell Art works in partnership with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies and grants licences for its vaccine formulations.
With ongoing R&D programmes in the fields of oncology, as well as cardiovascular and anti-infectious diseases, In Cell Art also works closely with companies that are active in the development of RNAi therapeutic products for interference with the expression of targeted disease-associated genes. In Cell Art grants licences for its nanocarriers.
Finally, In Cell Art is commercialising ICAFectin®441 and ICAFectin®442, which are DNA and siRNA transfection reagents for primary and stem cells.
