BioSilicon™ Demonstrates Adjuvant Properties Potential to be Exploited in Delivery of Vaccines

pSivida Limited has announced that its drug delivery platform, BioSilicon™ has demonstrated the capability to act as an adjuvant when delivered with an antigen.

A patent application has been filed in the U.K. which covers the application of BioSilicon™ as an adjuvant.

Recent in vivo pre-clinical data demonstrate that BioSilicon™ alone does not stimulate the immune system.

This finding is critical since it confirms the biocompatible attribute of this biodegradable biomaterial.

The controlled study also demonstrated that certain forms of BioSilicon™, delivered in specific combinations with a specific antigen, showed an adjuvant activity equivalent to the well established and widely used adjuvant, alum (aluminium salts).

The BioSilicon™-antigen combinations resulted in an enhanced immune response based on in vivo antibody responses.

This finding opens up the potential for exploiting BioSilicon™ not only for the delivery of vaccines, but also for enhancing the immune response to those vaccines.

"This finding indicates the potential utility of BioSilicon™ in the vaccine delivery market," said Mr Gavin Rezos, CEO of pSivida Limited.

"The discovery of the adjuvant properties of BioSilicon™ presents an exciting new development and widens the potential market for this novel biodegradable biomaterial."