Genocea's genital herpes vaccine is attractive alternative to antivirals, says GlobalData

US vaccine discovery and development company Genocea Biosciences’ investigational genital herpes (GH) vaccine is in prime position to lead genital herpes vaccine space, according to research and consulting firm GlobalData.

It found the firm’s GEN-003 vaccine is better positioned to compete in the future GH treatment space, despite being slightly behind USA-based biotech firm Agenus' (Nasdaq: AGEN) HerpV in clinical development. GlobalData noted that although both vaccines have novel mechanisms of action that can partially address some of the unmet needs in current GH management, GEN-003 possesses stronger commercial and clinical attributes according to available data.

Daian Cheng, GlobalData’s analyst covering infectious diseases, said: “Despite encouraging clinical results for HerpV, Agenus has encountered cash flow problems and has expressed interest in forming partnership or licensing agreements to further develop the vaccine. This may account for the lack of an announcement regarding a development plan for HerpV since the completion of the Phase II trial in January 2015. In contrast, Genocea set out clear plans and expectations for GEN-003 in its recent presentation at the 14th Needham & Co. Healthcare Conference in New York City, where it demonstrated confidence in its ability to successfully develop and commercialize GEN-003 in the US.”