CYT006-AngQb was an investigational

vaccine A vaccine is a biological Dosage form, preparation that provides active acquired immunity to a particular infectious disease, infectious or cancer, malignant disease. The safety and effectiveness of vaccines has been widely studied and verifi ...

against

angiotensin II Angiotensin is a peptide hormone that causes vasoconstriction and an increase in blood pressure. It is part of the renin–angiotensin system, which regulates blood pressure. Angiotensin also stimulates the release of aldosterone from the ...

, designed to lower

blood pressure Blood pressure (BP) is the pressure of Circulatory system, circulating blood against the walls of blood vessels. Most of this pressure results from the heart pumping blood through the circulatory system. When used without qualification, the term ...

. It was somewhat effective in

clinical trial Clinical trials are prospective biomedical or behavioral research studies on human subject research, human participants designed to answer specific questions about biomedical or behavioral interventions, including new treatments (such as novel v ...

s, but less so than conventional drugs against

hypertension Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, is a Chronic condition, long-term Disease, medical condition in which the blood pressure in the artery, arteries is persistently elevated. High blood pressure usually does not cause symptoms i ...

(elevated blood pressure).

Method of action

Angiotensin II causes blood vessels to constrict, and drives blood pressure up. CYT006-AngQb consists of virus-like particles

covalent A covalent bond is a chemical bond that involves the sharing of electrons to form electron pairs between atoms. These electron pairs are known as shared pairs or bonding pairs. The stable balance of attractive and repulsive forces between atom ...

ly coupled to angiotensin II.

Subcutaneous injection Subcutaneous administration is the insertion of medications beneath the skin either by injection or infusion. A subcutaneous injection is administered as a bolus (medicine), bolus into the subcutis, the layer of skin directly below the dermis and ...

causes the immune system to produce antibodies which reduce angiotensin II blood levels, lowering blood pressure.

Studies

In a 2008 phase IIa study, 72 patients received 100 μg, 300 μg or placebo in weeks 0, 4, and 12. Blood pressure was lowered dose-dependently, by 5.6 mmHg (systolic) and 2.8 mmHg (diastolic) in the 300 μg group. Morning blood pressure (5:00-8:00) was lowered by 25 mmHg (systolic) and 13 mmHg (diastolic). Side effects were mild and included local reactions, headache and fatigue. The 2008 trial was small and exploratory. It did not address the question of whether the vaccine actually protects internal organs, nor did it address safety concerns such as whether the vaccine would cause autoimmune disease. If a standard drug treatment is found to dangerously inhibit the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, it can be withdrawn and the effects reversed quickly, but that would not be true of the vaccine. However, poor compliance to standard treatment is the main reason for inadequate control of blood pressure, and if vaccination were safe and effective in the long run, it may solve many compliance problems. CYT006-AngQb did not reach Phase III studies because the antihypertensive effects were small compared to existing

ACE inhibitor Angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitors (ACE inhibitors) are a class of medication used primarily for the treatment of high blood pressure and heart failure. This class of medicine works by causing relaxation of blood vessels as well as a decr ...

s and

angiotensin II receptor antagonist Angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs), formally angiotensin II receptor type 1 (AT1) antagonists, also known as angiotensin receptor blockers, angiotensin II receptor antagonists, or AT1 receptor antagonists, are a group of pharmaceuticals tha ...

s, and they were not reproducible across dosing schemes. Similar vaccines with modified

immunogen An immunogen is any substance that generates B-cell (humoral/antibody) and/or T-cell (cellular) adaptive immune responses upon exposure to a host organism. Immunogens that generate antibodies are called antigens ("antibody-generating"). Immunoge ...

s and different

adjuvant In pharmacology, an adjuvant is a drug or other substance, or a combination of substances, that is used to increase the efficacy or potency of certain drugs. Specifically, the term can refer to: * Adjuvant therapy in cancer management * Anal ...

s are being investigated.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cyt006angqb Vaccines Antihypertensive agents