NorthX Biologics Innovation Hub supports Abera Bioscience with nasal pneumococcal vaccine

Abera Bioscience AB (“Abera” or “the Company”) has been awarded a 1 million SEK grant from Vinnova to advance the development of its innovative pneumococcal vaccine, Ab-01.12, towards clinical trials. The vaccine, which is based on the Abera’s OMV platform, is administered as a nasal spray and designed to provide broad protection against all bacterial strains, preventing both disease and transmission.

Abera received the maximum grant under Vinnova’s call for proposals, “Utilize infrastructures to develop precision medicine.” Abera’s project, “Production development of a new nasal vaccine against pneumonia,” aims to ensure a verified GMP compatible production process for the vaccine and validate analysis methods for the material. These are critical final steps in the production development, resulting in the vaccine candidate being ready for GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) production and use in clinical studies. The data generated in this project will be essential for the upcoming regulatory application to initiate clinical trials and will be crucial for advancing to the next stage of development.

“We are honored and grateful for the support from Vinnova, which takes us an important step closer to clinical Phase 1. As previously communicated, our goal is to finance the development of this candidate in a way that is favorable for our shareholders and to not initiate activities without secured funding. This grant moves us forward and reduces our funding needs for the next stage of development. This vaccine candidate has the potential to revolutionize the vaccine industry as it is administered as a nasal spray, providing protection where the bacteria first enter the body—at the nasal mucosa. Through this novel mechanism of action, it protects against both infection and transmission. Combined with broad protection against all bacterial variants and low production costs, this is a truly unique product that could save millions of lives,” says Maria Alriksson, CEO of Abera Bioscience.

Ab-01.12 is a universal vaccine candidate against pneumococcal infections, administered as a nasal spray. Pneumococci are bacteria that cause infections such as pneumonia, sepsis, meningitis, and ear infections. Severe pneumococcal infections primarily affect children and the elderly, causing approximately 1.5 million deaths annually and millions of hospitalizations, placing a significant burden on healthcare systems and society. The bacteria exist in about 100 variants, and current vaccines protect against only 13-23 specific variants. Ab-01.12 is based on a new technology, designed to protect against all bacterial variants.

The Vinnova grant will co-finance the project “Production development of a new nasal vaccine against pneumonia,” which starts in October 2024 and will be completed by April 2025 at the latest. The grant covers a maximum of 1 million SEK, with 800,000 SEK to be disbursed in 2024 and the remaining amount in 2025. The majority of the funding will be used for activities at NorthX Biologics and their Innovation Hub for vaccine development, while a smaller portion will be allocated to personnel costs at Abera. The project must follow the submitted project plan and report according to Vinnova’s regulations, which include a start report and a final report. The company must be able to demonstrate incurred costs according to the project plan. If the company does not meet the above requirements, Vinnova may demand repayment.