An estimated half a billion people have a genital infection with HSV type 2 or type 1, and several billion had an oral HSV type 1 infection, according to the Bulletin of the World Health Organization in 2016. The infection is lifelong and is characterised by period reactivations, causing painful genital blisters, sometimes with meningitis, and in the case of HSV-2 in new-borns and immunocompromised patients, life-threatening encephalitis. After initial infection, the virus establishes a latent infection in peripheral nerves, from which it may periodically reactivate due to stress, immunosuppression, sunlight exposure or fever. There is no cure for herpes infection, with most being treated for symptoms with antiviral drugs that were discovered in the 1970. The lack of effective and modern treatment options makes herpes infection a clear target for vaccine development.

Research in the laboratories of the founders of Simplexia and elsewhere a has shown that glycoproteins from HSV-1 and 2 when administered as a vaccine are highly immunogenic and provide protection in mouse models. This work has identified lead vaccine candidate antigens, shown that these can be manufactured using recombinant DNA-technology and that the proteins are immunogenic and protective when administered with conventional adjuvants in mouse models.

Simplexia has built up an ambitious and knowledgeable team with decades of experience of pharmaceutical development. The company has now entered an exciting new phase in its efforts to take ground-breaking research in Gothenburg from the laboratory to patients. I am proud and excited to be joining the company in this journey. The vaccines developed by Simplexia will have a profound effect both on public health and quality of life of individual people.

Tim Wood
CEO, Simplexia AB