Ov-103

Ov-103 is a recombinant protein antigen derived from the filarial nematode Onchocerca volvulus that is being developed as a component of a prophylactic vaccine to prevent human onchocerciasis (river blindness). Preclinical studies in mice and cattle have shown that Ov-103, alone and in combination with the related antigen Ov-RAL-2, elicits strong antigen-specific IgG1/IgG2 responses and confers partial protection against Onchocerca infection when formulated with appropriate adjuvants such as Montanide ISA 206 VG or alum, supporting its candidacy for human vaccination. Ov-103 is currently being advanced toward first-in-human phase 1 clinical trials with immunoinformatics analyses suggesting a favorable safety and immunogenicity profile.