NanoBio pursues nasal vaccine to prevent UTIs

NanoBio has licensed an antigen from the University of Michigan that has demonstrated the ability to prevent urinary tract infections (UTIs) by eliminating E. coli bacteria in the urinary tract of mice. UTIs affect 53 percent of women each year; half a million women are hospitalized annually as a result. And one in five women who develop an infection will experience recurrence. Although antibiotics clear the infection, there's currently no therapy to prevent UTIs.

Ann Arbor, MI-based NanoBio plans to combine U of M's antigen with its own nanoemulsion-based NanoStat adjuvant technology to achieve intranasal delivery of the treatment. The company already has experience using NanoStat in clinical trials of its nasal spray flu vaccine. 

"E. coli causes nearly 90 percent of all UTIs. It is a common bacterium and is frequently treated with antibiotics, which has led to the emergence of drug resistant strains that are difficult to treat," stated Harry Mobley, Ph.D., of the University of Michigan's Department of Microbiology and Immunology. "We previously anticipated at least ten years of further development of the vaccine before reaching commercialization; however, partnering with NanoBio and using their NanoStat technology will significantly accelerate the development of this long-awaited vaccine."

- check out NanoBio's release