Recombinant papillomavirus vaccines

• US 5,888,516 A
• Filed: 10/22/1997
• Issued: 03/30/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Merck Sharp & Dohme Corporation (Merck & Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Merck & Co., Inc.
• Inventors: Jansen, Kathrin U., Rosolowsky, Mark, Schultz, Loren S., Lehman, Ernest Dale, Joyce, Joseph G., Cook, James C. III, Markus, Henry Z., Hofmann, Kathryn J., George, Hugh A.
• Primary Examiner(s): MOSHER, MARY
• Application Number:
  US08/969,523
• Time in Patent Office: 524 Days
• Field of Search: 424/204.1, 435/69.3, 435/69.1, 435/235.1, 435/236
• US Class Current: 424/204.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 38/00 Medicinal preparations containing peptides peptides containing beta-lactam rings A61K31/00; cyclic dipeptides not having in their molecule any other peptide link than those which form their ring, e.g. piperazine-2,5-diones, A61K31/00; ergot alkaloids of the cyclic peptide type A61K31/48; containing macromolecular compounds having statistically distributed amino acid units A61K31/74; medicinal preparations containing antigens or antibodies A61K39/00; medicinal preparations characterised by the non-active ingredients, e.g. peptides as drug carriers, A61K47/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 39/00 Medicinal preparations containing antigens or antibodies materials for immunoassay G01N33/53
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 31/00 Antiinfectives, i.e. antibiotics, antiseptics, chemotherapeutics
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 37/04 Immunostimulants
• CPC Class Codes: C07K 14/005 from viruses
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 15/81 for yeasts
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 2710/20022 New viral proteins or individual genes, new structural or functional aspects of known viral proteins or genes
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 2710/20023 Virus like particles [VLP]
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 2710/20034 Use of virus or viral component as vaccine, e.g. live-attenuated or inactivated virus, VLP, viral protein
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/804 Containing nucleic acid
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/915 Therapeutic or pharmaceutical composition
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/917 Vaccine
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/918 Immunological

Abstract

Recombinant expression vectors encoding the L1 and L2 proteins of papillomavirus, methods of making and using the recombinant proteins and purified virus-like particles comprised of the recombinant proteins are provided.

Claims

1. A method of producing a human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine for administration to humans comprising HPV vitrus-like particles (VLPs) comprising the steps of:

(a) transforming a yeast with a DNA molecule, said DNA molecule encoding HPV L1 or HPV L1+L2 proteins to produce a transformed yeast cell;

(b) cultivating the transformed cell under conditions that permit production of recombinant proteins and their spontaneous assembly into VLPs;

(c) harvesting the VLPs from the transformed cell; and

(d) purifying the VLPs by at least one chromatography step; and

(e) preparing the vaccine.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the yeast is a strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein the HPV is selected from the group consisting of HPV type 6a, HPV type 6b, 14PV type 11, HPV type 16, and HPV type 18.