IMUNON, Inc. announced that a manuscript titled "Strong immunogenicity & protection in mice with PlaCCine: A COVID-19 DNA vaccine formulated with a functional polymer," is available on the preprint server bioRxiv. The study used IMUNON's proprietary formulation against the spike proteins from two SARS-CoV-2 variants, both alone and in combination. These results add to the growing body of preclinical data confirming the efficacy and superior desirable features of the IMUNON's PlaCCine vaccine modality.

Data from the study show: IMUNON's proprietary formulation of functionalized polymer protected DNA from degradation, while the combination with an adjuvant led to an increase in protein expression. DNA formulated with PlaCCine resulted in a DNA vaccine product that was stable for up to one year at 4degC. DNA formulated in PlaCCine resulted in the induction of spike-specific neutralizing antibodies and cytotoxic T cells.

In the in vivo challenge model, the vaccine-induced immune response was capable of suppressing viral replication. Multiple inserts can be cloned into the PlaCCine backbone (a plug-and-play strategy), therefore allowing for an immune response with broader protection.