Hookipa Pharma's (NASDAQ:HOOK) vaccine technology, VaxWave and TheraT, are likely to revolutionize the prevention or cure of infectious disease and cancer and is currently undervalued. VaxWave, a replication deficient arenavirus modified for cell-specific targeting and to prevent the vector itself from eliciting an immune response, continuously expresses a target antigen to produce potent immunity. Hookipa is currently developing VaxWave for prevention of cytomegalovirus infection.
Transplant patients frequently suffer active herpes virus infection, which can produce life threatening disease. New herpes virus therapies are needed since current antivirals have cytotoxicity or viruses develop resistance.