Vaxxinity Announces Collaboration on Space Medicine Research With University of Central Florida

Vaxxinity, Inc. recently announced a collaboration with the University of Central Florida (UCF) to advance space medicine research. The research, funded by a grant from the State of Florida, aims to further the development of Vaxxinity’s active immunotherapies to prevent and mitigate muscle and bone wasting, which are well known health challenges related to long-term spaceflight, and which share biological mechanisms implicated in highly prevalent age-related diseases.

“If humanity is to become a spacefaring species, solving fundamental problems related to space travel and living are table-stakes. Vaxxinity is all-in on developing and commercializing these solutions, and working with the State of Florida and UCF, collectively, we strive to promote both healthy aging and ensure humanity can become multi-planetary, brave low gravity exposure, and be of the stars,” said Lou Reese, Executive Chairman of Vaxxinity. “The support for this research from the State of Florida exemplifies a commitment to pioneering solutions in the fields of space travel, as well as longevity and age-related diseases.”

Research will include studies to assess the effects of Vaxxinity’s active immunotherapies on undisclosed proteins implicated with bone and muscle growth through in vitro and in vivo experiments, and animal models established by UCF.

Vaxxinity’s platform is designed to harness and selectively activate the immune system by overcoming immune tolerance, stimulating the production of antibodies against endogenous targets. The company will provide materials including candidates derived from its platform to support the collaborative research at UCF.

“UCF was born as a university to support the space program, and the College of Medicine is continuing that mission, working to bring back to Earth the secrets that space medicine research can reveal,” said Dr. Deborah German, Vice President for Health Affairs and Dean of UCF’s College of Medicine. “We look forward to collaborating with Vaxxinity on this research and applying their unique technology to benefit the aging population on our planet and future space travelers. The research we are doing targeted towards space-based physical challenges is directly translatable to issues faced by humanity here on Earth. We know what we do for tomorrow will yield results for today.”

Vaxxinity, Inc. is a purpose-driven biotechnology company committed to democratizing healthcare across the globe. The company is pioneering a new class of medicines aimed at disrupting the existing treatment paradigm for chronic disease, increasingly dominated by monoclonal antibodies, which suffer from prohibitive costs and cumbersome administration. The company’s proprietary technology platform has enabled the innovation of novel synthetic peptide immunotherapy candidates designed to bring the efficiency of vaccines to the treatment of chronic diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, migraine, and hypercholesterolemia. The technology is also implemented as part of a COVID-19 vaccine program. Vaxxinity has optimized its pipeline to achieve a potentially historic, global impact on human health. For more information, visit http://www.vaxxinity.com.

The University of Central Florida is a public metropolitan research university in Orlando that unleashes the potential of people and ideas to positively change the world. UCF’s world-class faculty bring academic and industry expertise and innovative research to the classroom, educating and inspiring the talent that fuels America’s economy and solves society’s greatest challenges. Founded in 1963 to support the US space program, UCF today enrolls more than 68,000 students, offers 240 degree programs and is shaping the future of engineering and computer science, optics, modeling and simulation, healthcare, hospitality, digital media and many other industries. U.S. News & World Report ranks UCF as the No. 14 most innovative university in the country. Washington Monthly ranks UCF as the No. 36 best university in the nation and among the top 20 schools in the nation for social mobility, recognizing UCF’s efforts to empower student success through innovative efforts that engage and support student learning, service and research.