ARTES’ METAVAX® platform is designed for the development of highly immunogenic subunit vaccines in human and animal health. It is based on enveloped virus like particles (VLP) derived from the recombinant surface antigen of the duck hepatitis B virus (dS) as scaffold.

METAVAX® supports efficient expression, folding and presentation of the target antigen on the surface of virus-like particles. The resulting chimeric VLP enhances recognition and uptake by antigen presenting cells and results in a potent immune response against the target antigen. Combined with ARTES’ yeast expression platform Hansenula polymorpha, it builds a convincing approach for economic production of safe and efficacious vaccines.

Adjuvant-free vaccine candidates addressing diseases like avian and swine flu, malaria and HIV have been tested in preclinical studies and were found to be safe, generally well tolerated and highly immunogenic.

The technology platform is well established in different customers’ animal vaccine development projects.