- Vicebio enters the second stage of its Phase 1 Clinical
Study of its lead candidate VXB-241
- The Clinical Study, an actively controlled Proof of Concept
Phase 1 conducted in target population aged 60+, is progressing as
planned with initial data expected by mid-2025
- Moncef Slaoui, former Chief
Scientific Advisor of Operation Warp Speed & former Chair of
R&D at GlaxoSmithKline and Khurem Farooq,
previously CEO of Aiolos, join Board of Directors
LONDON, Nov. 21,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Vicebio Ltd ("Vicebio"), a
biopharmaceutical company pioneering next-generation vaccines for
life-threatening respiratory viruses, today announces its progress
in the ongoing VXB-241 bivalent RSV-hMPV Phase 1 (P1) study as
well as the appointment of Moncef
Slaoui, PhD, and Khurem Farooq to its Board of
Directors.
Vicebio is progressing into the second stage of its clinical
study of VXB-241 and is now enrolling individuals aged 60 years of
age and above to evaluate the candidate vaccine's safety in this
vulnerable population. Early data from the study are expected by
mid-2025. Vicebio anticipates these data will represent a
significant milestone in the clinical validation of its platform.
More information on the P1 study can be found on clinicaltrials.gov
(NCT06556147).
Moncef Slaoui, PhD, and Khurem
Farooq join the Board of Directors, effective immediately. Both
bring vast experience in vaccine development and biopharmaceutical
leadership.
Emmanuel Hanon, Chief
Executive Officer of Vicebio, said: "In connection with
our significant Series B financing, we are building upon our
world-class leadership team with the addition of Moncef and Khurem
to the Board. Their expertise not only further supports our
innovation but will be essential as we continue to advance the
Company's vision to deliver the next generation of respiratory
viral vaccines."
At the heart of Vicebio's innovation is its proprietary
Molecular Clamp technology, designed to stabilise viral antigens
and enhance protective immunity across multiple respiratory
pathogens. This transformative technology supports the development
of multivalent respiratory viral vaccines that are ready-to-use,
cost-effective, and capable of addressing critical needs in global
respiratory health.
Moncef Slaoui, PhD,
newly appointed Independent Board Member at Vicebio, commented:
"Vicebio's Molecular Clamp technology marks a transformative
advancement in vaccine development. It is fantastic to be joining
the Board of a company where the technology and novel approach
holds the potential to expedite delivery of highly effective and
stable vaccines in ready-to-use prefilled syringes."
Khurem Farooq, newly appointed Independent Board Member at
Vicebio, added: "Vicebio is at an exciting phase of growth
as it looks to advance its pipeline of multivalent vaccines with
the potential to prevent a wide range of diseases in a single
vaccine."
Moncef Slaoui, PhD, has
extensive experience in drug development and commercialisation. He
currently serves as an advisor to Medicxi and is on the Board of
Directors of several companies including Arcturus Therapeutics,
Altesa, and Zephyr AI. Under his leadership as Chief Scientific
Advisor to Operation Warp Speed, he played a critical role in the
rapid development and deployment of multiple of COVID-19 vaccines
in the US. Prior to this Moncef's career at GlaxoSmithKline (GSK)
spanned nearly three decades, where he held several senior
leadership roles, including being a member of the Board of
Directors. He spearheaded GSK's Pharmaceutical R&D
restructuring to improve focus on innovation and productivity, and
was instrumental in the development of 14 new vaccines, including
Shingrix, to prevent shingles; Cervarix, to prevent cervical cancer
and Mosquirix, to prevent malaria. Moncef earned a PhD in Molecular
Biology and Immunology from the Université Libre de Bruxelles and completed postdoctoral studies
at Harvard Medical School and
Tufts University. He also holds an
accelerated MBA from IMD in Switzerland.
Khurem Farooq is an avid biotech entrepreneur with
over 20 years of experience in drug development. Khurem was
co-founder and CEO of Aiolos Bio, which was acquired by GSK for
$1.4bn in February 2024. Prior to this, Khurem served as
CEO of Gyroscope, which was acquired by Novartis in 2021 for up to
$1.5bn. Khurem was Senior Vice
President of the Immunology and Ophthalmology business unit at
Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, where he played a key role
in the commercialisation and launch strategies of several medicines
and contributed to the development of numerous pipeline
products. He holds an MBA and a BSc in Biological Sciences,
with honours, from Aston University and University of Wolverhampton, respectively.
About Vicebio
Vicebio is focused on developing
next-generation respiratory virus vaccines using the Molecular
Clamp technology. The Company was founded with investment from
Medicxi and acquired the rights to the Molecular Clamp
technology through a license from UniQuest, the commercialization
arm of The University of Queensland,
Australia. This proprietary technology was developed by Prof.
Paul Young, Prof. Daniel Watterson, and Prof. Keith
Chappell at UQ.
Vicebio is backed by a global syndicate of life science
investors including Medicxi, UniQuest TCGX, Goldman Sachs
Alternatives, Avoro Ventures and venBio. For more information,
please visit: www.vicebio.com
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