Grass Pollen Allergy Vaccine Also Effective Against Hepatitis B

A new type of vaccine against grass pollen allergies (BM32) might also offer an effective treatment for combating hepatitis B infection.

This is the finding of a study conducted at MedUni Vienna’s Institute for Pathophysiology and Allergy Research that has now been published in EBioMedicine, with a commentary from international experts.

The BM32 vaccine is based on an innovative recombinant peptide-carrier technology, which—compared with other immunotherapies for allergy sufferers—requires far fewer injections and has fewer side-effects. Recombinant peptide-carrier technology was developed at the Christian Doppler Laboratory for Allergy Research at MedUni Vienna, under the direction of Rudolf Valenta. BM32 was developed jointly with commercial partner Biomay AG.

In a Phase IIb study conducted as part of her dissertation at the Institute for Pathophysiology and Allergy Research at MedUni Vienna, Carolin Cornelius discovered that BM32 is also a highly promising treatment option for combating hepatitis B infections.

“We were able to show that, in people who had not previously been immunized with a conventional hepatitis B vaccine, vaccination with BM32 achieved an average inhibition of hepatitis B virus infection of 80 percent,” said Cornelius.

According to the MedUni Vienna researcher, this suggests that the concept of peptide-carrier fusion proteins might also be a potential approach for improving hepatitis B immunization.

Up to 10 percent of those vaccinated for hepatitis B conventionally do not have effective antibodies.

“Ongoing investigations should help to produce a comprehensive characterization of the HBV neutralization capability of BM32. Apart from having a preventive effect, there might be additional benefits for patients suffering from chronic hepatitis B infection,” said Cornelius.

Hepatitis B infection is still one of the most widespread health problems in the world. The virus is detectable in the blood of around 350 million people. However, around five to 10 percent of those who have been vaccinated using a conventional vaccine fail to build up an adequate antibody titer.

“One can only assume that these people are not protected against infection,” said Cornelius.

In total, five research clusters have been established at MedUni Vienna. In these clusters, MedUni Vienna is increasingly focusing on fundamental and clinical research. The research clusters include medical imaging, cancer research/oncology, cardiovascular medicine, medical neurosciences, and immunology. This paper falls within the remit of the Cluster for Immunology.

To read the full press release, click here.

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