Creo ESG to Combat Next-Generation Ebola Variants with SUV-MAP™ Platform

CREO ESG (040350) is strengthening its next-generation vaccine development capabilities to rapidly respond to Ebola virus variants by leveraging its proprietary SUV-MAP™ platform.

Recently, new cases of Ebola virus infection have been reported in certain regions of Africa, once again highlighting the importance of vaccine platform technologies capable of tackling variant viruses. According to CREO ESG on August 11, the company has already secured a Zaire ebolavirus vaccine candidate based on SUV-MAP™. This has established a foundation that allows the company to quickly design and develop vaccine candidates for new Ebola variants by incorporating their respective antigens into the platform.

SUV-MAP™ is a next-generation vaccine platform developed by CREO ESG based on an attenuated recombinant VSV (rVSV) system. Its key feature is the ability to swap the antigen gene for the target virus, allowing the same platform to be adapted for various infectious diseases.

Ebola is not caused by a single virus, but refers to a disease that results from several different types of viruses. Major Ebola viruses known to infect humans to date include Zaire ebolavirus, Sudan ebolavirus, Bundibugyo ebolavirus, and Tai Forest ebolavirus.

Because each virus exhibits differences in antigen structure, a single vaccine may not be equally effective against all Ebola viruses. Currently, the only Ebola vaccine authorized globally—ERVEBO®—was developed specifically for Zaire ebolavirus.

Therefore, one of the core competitive strengths of next-generation vaccine platforms is the speed at which new vaccine candidates tailored to emerging or variant Ebola viruses can be created.

CREO ESG explains that the modular structure of SUV-MAP™ enables such rapid response. If a new Ebola virus emerges, the relevant antigen can be inserted into SUV-MAP™ to design a new vaccine candidate, providing a foundation for subsequent preclinical and clinical development.

This platform-based approach is among the key technology trends that have grown in importance in the global vaccine industry since the COVID-19 pandemic. International organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) continue to emphasize the importance of securing vaccine platform technologies to prepare for future infectious diseases.

CREO ESG has already secured a vaccine candidate for Zaire ebolavirus using SUV-MAP™. This candidate was designed to stimulate an immune response by applying the glycoprotein (GP) of the Ebola virus to the SUV-MAP™ platform.

Zaire ebolavirus is known for its high fatality rate and for having caused the largest Ebola outbreaks in history. The currently approved Ebola vaccine was also developed for Zaire ebolavirus. Since CREO ESG has accumulated the relevant technology, it expects to be able to efficiently design new vaccine candidates using its existing platform should new Ebola variants appear in the future.

The recombinant VSV platform underlying SUV-MAP™ has already demonstrated its technical feasibility through real-world applications in infectious disease response.

The world's first Ebola vaccine to receive approval from both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA)—ERVEBO® (rVSV-ZEBOV)—was also developed utilizing a similar rVSV platform technology. This vaccine was administered to millions of people in Ebola-affected areas, demonstrating its safety, efficacy, and potential for infectious disease response.

Building on these international applications of rVSV platforms, CREO ESG plans to expand the use of SUV-MAP™. The aim is to advance the SUV-MAP™ technology as a universal vaccine platform applicable not only to Ebola but also to a wide range of infectious diseases.

The World Health Organization is also continuing to monitor Ebola as well as Marburg virus disease, Nipah virus, Lassa fever, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF), severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS), and other pathogens considered to pose major future pandemic risks.

With high-risk infectious diseases, new variants can appear at any time, making existing vaccines potentially insufficient to respond fully. CREO ESG believes that using SUV-MAP™, it can swiftly design and develop vaccine candidates based on the same platform whenever new pathogens or variants emerge.

On this basis, the company plans to continuously broaden the application of SUV-MAP™ to include various hemorrhagic fever viruses, including Ebola, as well as other pathogens requiring future pandemic preparedness.

The company is also pursuing global business expansion. CREO ESG is expanding its global patent portfolio for SUV-MAP™ while building a range of vaccine pipelines. The company is actively pursuing international joint research, technology licensing, co-development, and strategic partnerships as well.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.