Mymetics Corporation announced the strategic decision to select its respiratory synctitial virus (RSV) vaccine candidate as the lead program from its proprietary second generation virosome platform. The RSV vaccine candidate has demonstrated an encouraging pre-clinical efficacy and safety profile as reported in PloS One. RSV represents a major unmet clinical need in both the elderly and pediatric populations. Mymetics' RSV vaccine candidate is based on its proprietary second generation virosome platform along with an approved adjuvant incorporated into the viral membrane to stimulate a balanced immune response. The vaccine, composed of the natural RSV membrane containing the natural RSV antigens, but absent the infectious genetic material, generates a powerful immune response similar to a normal infection, but with the safety profile of a killed virus vaccination. The two critical hurdles to successfully developing an RSV vaccine are to generate not only neutralizing antibody responses that mimic native viral proteins, but also a balanced TH-1 oriented immune response. The Mymetics RSV candidate, by virtue of its inherent design and the incorporation of a TLR-4-directed adjuvant, has the potential to meet these two critical requirements. The pre-clinical proof-of-concept results for Mymetics' RSV vaccine candidate will also be presented at the 8th Annual RSV Symposium held from September 27, to 30, 2012 in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

In coincidence with the RSV program update, Mymetics has announced the recent appointment of three strategic RSV consultants and advisors to facilitate the advancement of its pipeline of vaccine candidates: Dr.'s George Kemble, Tom Monath and Bogdan Dziurzynski. Dr. George Kemble has been appointed to the Scientific Advisory Board of Mymetics. Dr. Kemble is currently the CSO at 3-V Biosciences. Prior to 3-V, Dr. Kemble was the Senior Vice President of R&D at MedImmune and Head of Research at MedImmune. Dr. Thomas Monath has joined Mymetics as consulting Chief Medical Officer. Dr. Monath has devoted his nearly 30-year career to the fight against infectious disease through his work in the military, corporate, academic and investment sectors. Dr. Bogdan Dziurzynski has been retained as Strategic Regulatory consultant for Mymetics. Dr. Dziurzynski currently serves as a strategic regulatory management consultant to the biotechnology industry and serves on the Board of Directors of Dendreon Corporation and the Biologics Consulting Group Inc.