Review Article

Towards a Rational Design of an Asymptomatic Clinical Herpes Vaccine: The Old, the New, and the Unknown

Table 1

A sampling of past and ongoing preclinical and clinical vaccine trails.

Company NameProduct namePhase of development*HSV vaccine typeMode of action

Micro-Antigen Technologies, LLC“Asymptomatic” LipopeptidePCPeptide-based
Self-adjuvanting
P&T
AlphaVax, Inc.HSV Vaccine ALPHAVAXPCAlphavirus vectorP&T
Genocea BiosciencesHSV2 Vaccine GENOCEAPCUndisclosedP&T
Henderson Morley plcL-particlesPCVLPP
Henderson Morley plcPREPS (previral DNA replication enveloped particles)PCVLPP
JN International Medical CorporationGenital Herpes Vaccine JN INTERNATIONALPCSubunitP
Juvaris Biotherapeutics, IncJVRS100 with Herpes Simplex Virus-2 AntigensPCSubunit gB, gDt, gH/gL JVRS-100 adjuvantP
Mymetics CorporationHerpes Simplex Virus Vaccine MYMETICSPCVLPP
Sanofi-aventisACAM529PCReplication-defective virusP&T
BioVex Inc.ImmunoVEX HSV2 VaccineILive-attenuated virusP
Pfizer Inc.Genital Herpes DNA Vaccine PFIZER INCIDNA via PMEDT
AuRx, Inc.TheraherbIIILive-attenuated virusT
GlaxoSmithKline plcSimplirixFSubunit gD2
SBAS4 adjuvant
P
Acuvax Ltd (formerly Avantogen Limited)HSV 2 ACUVAXDLive-attenuated virus
GPI-0100 adjuvant
T
Antigenics Inc.AG702DSubunit gB2
Human HSP-70 adjuvant
T
Antigenics Inc.AG707DSubunit 32 peptides
Human HSP-70 adjuvant
T
BioVex Inc.ImmunoVEX HSV2/HPV VaccineDHSV-2/HPV
Combined
P&T
Celldex Therapeutics, Inc.Dl5-29 Vaccine CELLDEXDLive, replication-impaired virusT
Celtic Pharma Management L.P.DISC ProDDISCP
Novartis AGGenital Herpes DNA Vaccine NOVARTISDDNAT
Celtic Pharma Management L.P.TAHSVFDISCT
Eli Lilly&Co.Resiquimod ELI LILLYFTLR agonistT
GenVec Inc.Herpes Simplex Virus Type 2 Vaccine GENVECNAAdenovirus vectorP&T
Profectus bioSciences, Inc.Herpes Simplex Virus Vaccine PROFECTUS BIOSCIENCESNADNA with recombinant VSV boostT
Vical Inc.Herpes Simplex Virus Type 2 Vaccine VICALNADNA
Vaxfectin adjuvant
T

The table recapitulates the majority of HSV vaccine candidates currently undergoing different phases of clinical trials, the companies that are conducting the trial, the phase of the trial, the type of vaccine, and the therapeutic approach. *PC: preclinical, I/III: phase I/phase III, D: discontinued, F: failed, NA: not available, P: prophylactic, and T: therapeutic.