GonOMVax – Neisseria gonorrhoeae vaccine

Neisseria gonorrhoeae (gonococcus) is a Gram-negative human pathogen that causes approximately 80 million infections of mucosal surfaces including urethra, endocervix, pharynx, conjunctiva and rectum. The disease spectrum ranges from mucosal inflammatory disease to pelvic inflammatory diseases (PID) that, after resolution, can leave sequelae such as male and female sterility, chronic pelvic pain, ectopic pregnancy, low birth weight, septic abortion and acute conjunctivitis/blindness in the new-born. Bloodstream infections lead to septic arthritis, endocarditis, meningitis and in some cases death.
Women are specifically affected with complicated infections and worse outcomes. Gonorrhoea can lead to a five-fold increased risk of HIV transmission (World Health Organization. Multi-drug resistant gonorrhoea. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/multi-drug-resistant-gonorrhoea (2023)).
Gonococcal infections are prevalent worldwide with a disproportionate burden in Low-Middle-Income countries (LMIC).
Neisseria gonorrhoeae acquires resistance to antibiotics very rapidly and there is no longer a single reliable class of antibiotics for empirical treatment of these infections. N. gonorrhoeae has developed resistance to all antibiotics, including ceftriaxone, the last available recommended treatment option. Cases of such ‘Super-Gonorrhoea’ are emerging globally.
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has categorized gonococcus as one of the “urgent” antibiotic-resistant threats in the USA.
There are currently no effective vaccines against gonococcal infections. This is due to the complexity and antigenic diversity of Neisseria gonorrhoeae that is able to evade and suppress immune responses. Therefore, efforts need to move towards a vaccine that can overcome these immune-suppressive constraints.
At Contraria Biotech we will exploit the potential of mOMV to overcome many of the constraints that have so far impeded progress towards a gonococcal vaccine.
The flexibility of the mOMV platform will also allow “plug and play” modifications and/or inclusion of antigens to increase valency and coverage in response to epidemiological changes.