Providence-based "Biotech start up" EpiVax Celebrates 25th Anniversary

News provided by

EpiVax Inc.

17 May, 2023, 14:37 GMT

PROVIDENCE, R.I., May 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- EpiVax, Inc. ("EpiVax") is celebrating its 25th birthday by renewing the company's commitment to improving human health everywhere while highlighting the development of groundbreaking tools by the company. In addition, EpiVax is celebrating the work of two not-for-profit organizations that have been partners with EpiVax for nearly all of those 25 years.

EpiVax is an innovative research organization that develops computer algorithms and toolkits to assess immunogenicity and design vaccines, in addition to having invented a wide range of products that allow for the modulation of immune responses.

Examples of these cutting-edge tools include:

  • ISPRI: The first fully integrated cloud-based toolkit for immunogenicity risk assessment, evaluating more than 2 million sequences from global biologics developers per 12 months.
  • PANDA: An immunogenicity risk assessment program for generic peptide drugs.
  • iVAX: A toolkit for in silico vaccine design for emerging and existing infectious diseases.
  • JanusMatrix: Tool for defining potentially tolerogenic or tolerizing epitopes.
  • Tregitope: T cell epitopes that modulate immunogenicity and induce antigen-specific tolerance.
  • PIMA: Tool for assessing individualized (personal) immunogenicity risk.
  • ANCER: A tool for designing personalized cancer vaccines that is currently licensed to EpiVax Therapeutics; a subsidiary of EpiVax.
  • EpiCC: The most recent EpiVax tool, which assesses the efficacy of vaccines against emerging strains of pathogens (such as the Flu or COVID).

In addition to the lineup of tools that EpiVax has rolled out over the past 25 years, the company has hit many milestones worth celebrating. EpiVax has generated, more than $100M in commercial contracts  and federal grant income and has grown from 4 to 40 employees. EpiVax is the first immunoinformatics company to have deliver web-based tools for vaccine and biologics design to clients, beginning in 2006.

EpiVax is honored to expand its impact on human health by supporting non-profit organizations through donations and the active volunteer efforts of its team members.  

Clínica Esperanza/Hope Clinic (CEHC) is located near EpiVax's headquarters in the Valley neighborhood of Providence. CEHC provides walk-in primary care to more than 2,000 uninsured immigrants and refugees in Rhode Island. With the support of neighborhood (and EpiVax) volunteers, CEHC provided free COVID testing and distributed more than 17,000 COVID vaccines to uninsured residents of Providence during the pandemic. CEHC's walk in clinic, called CHEER, has been estimated to save more than $500,000 per year in Emergency Room costs for uninsured individuals. EpiVax supports CEHC by providing financial support for the salary of the Quality Assurance reviewer at the clinic.

GAIA Vaccine Foundation (GAIA VF) has also been supported by EpiVax since its inception with in-kind contributions such as free office space and direct involvement by EpiVax's CEO. Dedicated to improving access to vaccines, GAIA VF has initiated innovative projects such Corona Kele, a COVID vaccine confidence building project for residents of Bamako, Mali, West Africa.

VaxGivesBack is the EpiVax employee-led corporate responsibility committee. The committee organizes volunteer opportunities and giving campaigns that support local organizations in need. Together, EpiVax and VaxGivesBack contribute $50,000 annually to not-for-profits in the lower income neighborhoods of Olneyville and Valley.

About EpiVax:

EpiVax is a 25-year old privately-held biotechnology company located in Providence, RI, with a broad portfolio of projects including vaccines and immunotherapies for infectious diseases, autoimmunity and cancer. Scientists at EpiVax, led by co-founders Annie De Groot, MD and Bill Martin, are leaders in the field of immunogenicity risk assessment for vaccines and biologics. The ISPRI and iVAX toolkits for therapeutics and vaccines are used by a global roster of companies. Visit www.epivax.com for more information.

Press Contact:
Katie Porter, Business Development Manager
EpiVax
kporter@epivax.com