Adenovirus Hexon-Based Anti-Nicotine Vaccine to Treat Nicotine Addiction

Background & Unmet Need

• Current strategies to help smokers quit include counseling and medication therapies
• However, due to the strong addictive qualities of nicotine, smokers have a relapse rate of 70% to 80% within 6 months
• One therapeutic approach is to develop an anti-nicotine vaccine, in which nicotine is administered to induce antibodies which can later sequester nicotine
• Because nicotine is a small molecule not seen by the immune system, nicotine (or a nicotine analog) must be coupled to a larger molecule to induce an anti-nicotine immune response
• Clinical trials of anti-nicotine vaccines show varied immune responses among participants, and only a small percentage successfully quit smoking
• Unmet Need: A nicotine vaccine which effectively induces immune response and aids in smoking cessation

Technology Overview

• The Technology: A conjugate of an isolated adenovirus hexon protein coupled to nicotine or a nicotine analog as a smoking cessation strategy
• The Discovery: Coupling the highly immunogenic adenovirus (Ad) hexon protein to the nicotine hapten AM1 increases the immunogenicity of a nicotine vaccine
• PoC Data: Mice vaccinated with the conjugate, HexonAM1, generated high titers of anti-nicotine antibodies
• When the mice were challenged with nicotine, IgG-bound serum nicotine increased 5.2-fold compared to naïve control mice and nicotine levels in the brain were reduced by 53%
• The HexonAM1 vaccinated mice also showed significant alleviation of nicotine-suppressed locomotor behavior

Technology Applications

• Anti-nicotine vaccine for the treatment and prevention of nicotine addiction
• Anti-nicotine vaccine for comorbid indications, including Critical Limb Ischemia or Buerger’s Disease

Technology Advantages

• Demonstrated high titers of anti-nicotine antibodies that effectively suppressed the effects of nicotine
• Provides a new platform for vaccines against small molecules