Applied DNA Sciences Inc. (NASDAQ: APDN) (“Applied DNA” or the “Company”) a leader in Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)-based DNA manufacturing for product authenticity, traceability solutions, nucleic acid-based biotherapeutic development, and liquid biopsies for cancer diagnostics, and Takis Biotech (“Takis”), a company focused on the development of cancer vaccines, and founded by scientists from Merck Research Laboratories, announced today that the design of 4 DNA vaccine candidates will be produced for preclinical animal testing via the Company’s proprietary PCR-based DNA (“LinearDNA”) manufacturing systems.
The companies’ announcement follows their statement on February 7, 2020 announcing an expanded Joint Development Agreement (JDA) between the Company’s majority-owned subsidiary, LineaRx, Inc. and Takis Biotech to include the preclinical development of a PCR-produced LinearDNA vaccine against COVID-19.
“Since expanding our JDA to include the pursuit of a COVID-19 vaccine, the virus has appeared on almost every continent. We expect delivery of the 4 preclinical vaccine candidates from Takis in this month. Within weeks of arrival we expect to immediately scale up PCR-based production of each vaccine candidate and ship them back to Takis who will determine each vaccine’s relative abilities to provoke an immune response in vaccinated mice,” stated Dr. James A. Hayward, president and CEO of Applied DNA and LineaRx.
