Migraine Vaccine Shows Comparable Efficacy to Monoclonal Antibodies for Migraine Relief: Jean-Cosme Dodart, PhD

WATCH TIME: 6 minutes

"We're very hopeful that UB-313 will go through clinical development smoothly. At the end, we hope to have a safe and well-tolerated vaccine that could complement the available drugs currently on the market and provide the patient with a much more convenient and a much cheaper treatment option."

In prior research, monoclonal antibodies targeting calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) have shown significant efficacy in migraine prevention. Recently, immunogenicity studies were conducted in rodents and monkeys using UB-313 (Vaxxinity), an investigational vaccine designed to stimulate the production of endogenous antibodies against CGRP. In the research, vaccine-induced serum antibodies were characterized by properties, efficacy was evaluated in a rat capsaicin model, and toxicity was assessed in a repeat-dose good laboratory practice study.

The research was presented as an abstract by Jean-Cosme Dodart, PhD, senior vice president of research, Vaxxinity, and Hui Jing Yu, PhD, senior director of clinical development at Vaxxinity, at the 2023 American Academy of Neurology (AAN) Annual Meeting, April 22-27, in Boston, Massachusetts.¹ Currently, there is an ongoing phase 1 trial (NCT05477095) on UB-313 to assess its safety, immunogenicity and target engagement. If successful, investigators believe that UB-313 may represent an affordable and convenient treatment option to prevent migraine in patients.²

During the meeting, Dodart sat down with NeurologyLive® in an interview to discuss the preclinical evidence supporting the effectiveness and safety of UB-313. He also talked about how the newly developed CGRP vaccine compares with existing CGRP-targeting medications in terms of convenience and cost. He spoke about ways the vaccine blocks the effects of capsaicin, and how transition from healthy volunteers to patients with migraine will help determine the vaccine's efficacy.

Click here for more coverage on AAN 2023.

REFERENCES
1. Dodart JC, Yu HJ, Boyd J, et al. UB-313, an Investigational CGRP Vaccine for the Prevention of Migraine. Presented at: 2023 AAN Annual Meeting; April 22-27; Boston, MA. Abstract 005. Emerging Science 1 session.
2. Vaxxinity to Present at World Vaccine Congress, American Academy of Neurology, and BNA2023 Festival of Neuroscience in April. News Release. Vaxxinity. Published March 28, 2023. Accessed May 8, 2023. https://ir.vaxxinity.com/news-releases/news-release-details/vaxxinity-present-world-vaccine-congress-american-academy