Everest Medicines Announces New mRNA Rabies Vaccine Program and Achievement of Preclinical Proof-of-Concept Milestone

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Dec 14, 2022, 19:00 ET

Rabies program, as the first non-COVID19 vaccine developed with a specialized mRNA platform, highlights Everest's discovery capabilities

Clinically validated mRNA platform is shown to generate differentiated products across a range of indications

SHANGHAI, Dec. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Everest Medicines (HKEX 1952.HK, "Everest"), a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing transformative pharmaceutical products that address critical unmet medical needs for patients in Greater China and other parts of Asia, announced today that the company has achieved the preclinical proof-of-concept milestone for its mRNA rabies vaccine program. This new vaccine candidate for rabies post-exposure prophylactic was developed in partnership with Providence Therapeutics Holdings Inc. ("Providence") utilizing a clinically validated mRNA technology platform.

"The mRNA rabies vaccine program is an important validation of our discovery capability and the mRNA platform as the first of several non-COVID mRNA vaccine/therapeutics candidates," said Rogers Yongqing Luo, Chief Executive Officer of Everest Medicines. "We continue to advance our Omicron-containing bivalent booster candidate, EVER-COVID19-M1.2, in China and other Everest territories and plan to initiate clinical trials in 2023. Building on the momentum of promising mRNA infectious disease vaccine candidates, we are well-positioned to continue innovating novel candidates using this mRNA technology platform across a wide range of disease indications."

In a head-to-head immunogenicity comparison study with a commercial inactivated rabies vaccine, mice dosed with Everest's pre-clinical rabies vaccine candidate produced higher levels of serum neutralizing antibodies than those of mice dosed with the comparator vaccine. Everest's candidate also induced a significantly higher degree of T-cell-mediated immune response than the comparator vaccine. These positive results support the clinical development of the rabies vaccine. Everest and Providence hold 50/50 global rights to develop and commercialize the new rabies vaccine.

About Rabies

Rabies is a zoonotic, viral disease. While it remains a serious threat to public health, the disease is vaccine-preventable with proper treatment. Every year, more than 29 million people worldwide receive a post-bite rabies vaccination^[1], which – if received soon after exposure – can effectively prevent the onset of symptoms. Once clinical symptoms appear, however, the disease is virtually 100% fatal. Notably, over 95% of human deaths from rabies occur in the Asia and Africa regions, predominately affecting vulnerable populations who live in remote rural locations. Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) is the immediate treatment of a bite victim after rabies exposure, which includes delivering a course of a potent and effective rabies vaccine as well as immediate wound washing and administration of rabies immunoglobulin.^[2]

About Everest Medicines

Everest Medicines is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing transformative pharmaceutical products that address critical unmet medical needs for patients in Asian markets. The management team of Everest Medicines has deep expertise and an extensive track record from both leading global pharmaceutical companies and local Chinese pharmaceutical companies in high-quality clinical development, regulatory affairs, CMC, business development and operations. Everest Medicines has built a portfolio of potentially global first-in-class or best-in-class molecules, many of which are in late-stage clinical development. The Company's therapeutic areas of interest include cardio-renal diseases, autoimmune disorders, and infectious diseases. For more information, please visit its website at www.everestmedicines.com.

Forward-Looking Statements:

This news release may make statements that constitute forward-looking statements, including descriptions regarding the intent, belief or current expectations of the Company or its officers with respect to the business operations and financial condition of the Company, which can be identified by terminology such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates," "confident" and similar statements. Such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties, or other factors, some of which are beyond the control of the Company and are unforeseeable. Therefore, the actual results may differ from those in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors and assumptions, such as future changes and developments in our business, competitive environment, political, economic, legal and social conditions. The Company or any of its affiliates, directors, officers, advisors or representatives has no obligation and does not undertake to revise forward-looking statements to reflect new information, future events or circumstances after the date of this news release, except as required by law.

^[1],[2]World Health Organization. (November 2022). Rabies. World Health Organization. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/rabies

SOURCE Everest Medicines