ROCHESTER, N.Y., Dec. 12, 2014 /PRNewswire/ — Vaccinex Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company engaged in the discovery and development of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies to treat cancer and neurodegenerative diseases, today announced publication of a manuscript entitled “SEMA4D compromises blood–brain barrier, activates microglia, and inhibits remyelination in neurodegenerative disease” in the January 2015 issue of the journal Neurobiology of Disease*. The publication highlights an important role for antibodies that block the activity of Semaphorin 4D (SEMA4D) in reducing three causes of neuroinflammatory disease including the breakdown of the blood-brain barrier, apoptosis (programmed cell death) of oligodendrocytes precursor cells important for maintaining the myelin coating on neurons, and activation of microglia, innate inflammatory cells of the central nervous system. Data are presented demonstrating efficacy in reducing disease severity in several mouse models of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), a surrogate for human multiple sclerosis. Vaccinex is currently testing VX15/2503, an antibody that blocks human SEMA4D, in a phase 1 clinical trial designed to assess safety and tolerability in patients with multiple sclerosis. Data from this study is expected to be available during the first quarter of 2015.

* Link to the article – http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0969996114003015

About Vaccinex, Inc.

Based in Rochester, New York, Vaccinex, Inc. is a privately held clinical-stage biotechnology company engaged in the discovery and development of human therapeutic monoclonal antibodies to treat cancer and neurodegenerative diseases, including multiple sclerosis and Huntington’s disease. Vaccinex utilizes its proprietary ActivMAb® Antibody Discovery Technology for rapid, mammalian cell-based antibody selection to build its antibody pipeline and in service to its biopharmaceutical partners. Compared to other selection technologies, ActivMAb® combines the advantages of rapid and sensitive selection by virus panning and cell sorting in one technology, with intrinsic selection of antibodies that are efficiently expressed and stable in mammalian cells. For more information and to contact Vaccinex, visit www.vaccinex.com.