Shanghai Public Health Clinical Centre and Cheng Kung University's Department of Microbiology and Immunology have joined Taiwan-based United BioPharma's fight against the global herpes endemic.

Together with United BioPharma, the two institutions will test the effectiveness of UB-621, a best-in-class long-acting treatment for genital herpes caused by simplex viruses 1 and 2 (HSV 1 and HSV2) in preparation for phase II trials in the United States and China.

The latest additions to the partnership will work with existing partners to test the neutralizing activity of UB-621 to the HSV clinical isolates in mainland China and Taiwan.

UB-621 is a first-in-class anti-gD mAb (UB-621) with demonstrated strong viral suppression of transmission and recurrence of HSV1 and HSV2, developed over ten years of research collaboration between the University of Washington, the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, University of Duisburg Essen, Germany, and Dartmouth College.

Over half a billion of the global population lives with a genital herpes infection (caused by HSV2), while several billion lives with an oral herpes infection (caused by HSV1).