Sementis is dedicated to the research and development of new vaccines to tackle the world’s most challenging diseases. Currently in pre-clinical development, Sementis’s mpox vaccine has the potential to mitigate the current risk created by limited vaccine options, broaden vaccine supply, and support the response to pox-based diseases in the future.
Many countries in Africa are experiencing more cases of mpox, as the virus crosses national borders, with fears it could cause a significant global outbreak. Some experts have said that the mpox outbreak resembles the early days of HIV, and have urged accelerated and equitable access to vaccines, antivirals and testing (REF). The WHO has highlighted the need for an international coordination and a scale-up of response efforts.
Scientists and public health experts all called for more resources for research, with “massive unknowns” about a new variant spreading between people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (REF).
Sementis, led by CEO Dr Anne Collins and based in UniSA’s Bradley Building, is at the leading edge of vaccine development, with the Sementis Copenhagen Vector (SCV) system currently Australia’s most advanced non-replicating viral vector vaccine platform technology.
The SCV system is a next-generation vaccinia viral-vector platform, engineered to be safe whilst maintaining viral potency to generate a strong and long-lasting immune response. Sementis’s mission is to deliver an adaptable vaccine platform in response to rapidly emerging diseases of pandemic proportion and also to treat diseases of high unmet medical need including allergies.
In 2021 Sementis was awarded $3 million through the Federal Government’s MRFF (Medical Research Future Fund) to accelerate the development of a Covid-19 vaccine based on Sementis’ SCV technology and fast-track human clinical trials. The project was conducted in partnership with the University of South Australia.
About Sementis
Sementis is an Australian unlisted public biotechnology company based in Adelaide, South Australia, that is dedicated to the research and development of new vaccines to tackle the world’s most challenging diseases. Sementis R&D is based in the UniSA Bradley Building within the state of the art Adelaide BioMed City Precinct. It was founded in 2009, based on the invention of the Sementis Copenhagen Vector (SCV) platform system.
Sementis is at the leading edge of vaccine development, with the Sementis Copenhagen Vector system currently Australia’s most advanced non-replicating viral vector vaccine platform technology. To date, the SCV platform system has demonstrated the ability to generate strong, broad, and long lasting protective immune responses in animal models after a single dose of a multi-disease vaccine. This includes the ability to protect against disease in higher order animal challenge models, thus paving the way to enter Phase I clinical trials.
About monkeypox
Mpox is an infectious zoonotic disease caused by the monkeypox virus and part of the same family of viruses as variola virus which causes smallpox; vaccines and therapeutics developed for smallpox and approved for use in some countries can be used for mpox in some circumstances. Mpox historically occurred mostly in tropical rainforest areas of Central and West Africa and has spread to other regions. It is a rare viral illness that can become serious.
Since May 2022, there has been a global increase in mpox infections in multiple countries where the illness is not usually seen. Mpox was first reported in Australia May 2022. The WHO) declared the mpox outbreak a public health emergency of international concern on (PHEIC) on 14 August 2024. Mpox has previously been declared a PHEIC, on 23 July 2022.
Article informed by:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/aug/16/what-do-we-know-mpox-outbreak-africa
https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/aug/14/mpox-outbreak-africa-public-health-emergency-declares-who
https://www.who.int/news/item/14-08-2024-who-director-general-declares-mpox-outbreak-a-public-health-emergency-of-international-concern
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/monkeypox