CYT006-AngQb

CYT006-AngQb

Vaccine description
Target disease	Hypertension
Type	Conjugate vaccine
Clinical data
Routes of administration	Subcutaneous
Legal status
Legal status	Investigational
Identifiers
ATC code	none

CYT006-AngQb is an investigational vaccine against angiotensin II, designed to lower blood pressure.

Method of action

Angiotensin II causes blood vessels to constrict, and drives blood pressure up. CYT006-AngQb consists of virus-like particles covalently coupled to angiotensin II. Subcutaneous injection 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 (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 If a standard drug treatment is found to dangerously inhibit the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, it can be withdrawn and the effects reversed quickly, but that would not be true of the vaccine.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.

As of November 2008, two new phase II studies are recruiting patients to evaluate safety and efficacy of this vaccine.