Gilead collaborates with GlobeImmune to develop vaccine for chronic hepatitis B infection

Gilead Sciences (Nasdaq: GILD) has entered into an exclusive worldwide license and collaboration agreement with privately held, fellow USA-based biotech firm GlobeImmune for the development and commercialization of therapeutic vaccine products for use in conjunction with Viread (tenofovir disoproxil fumarate) and other oral therapies for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection.

Under the terms of the accord, Gilead will make an upfront payment to GlobeImmune and provide support for the company’s continued development of its HBV therapeutic vaccine program through Phase Ia clinical trials. Gilead can assume full responsibility for clinical development following Phase Ia. GlobeImmune could also receive additional payments based on the achievement of certain development milestones, as well as royalties on future potential net sales. Further financial terms were not disclosed.

The goal of the research collaboration is to create and develop therapeutic vaccine products that have specific HBV DNA antigens cloned into S. cerevisiae (a species of yeast). The companies anticipate that the combination of a therapeutic vaccine with oral suppressive antiviral therapy could help increase surface antigen (HBsAg) loss with seroconversion - a marker of the resolution of chronic HBV infection.