Aegis Life’s Investigational DNA Vaccine

Dr. John Lewis, Ph.D., CEO of Aegis Life, Inc., a spinout of Entos Pharmaceuticals, discusses the company’s goal of developing a novel DNA vaccine using its proprietary gene delivery technology, Fusogenix, in the fight against COVID-19.  The flexibility of Fusogenix may enable Aegis Life’s investigational DNA vaccine to target and deliver simultaneously the Spike (S) protein and the Nucleocapsid (N) protein intracellularly. This approach may maximize the potential of inducing a potent, durable, and balanced T cell response against COVID-19, in addition to having a strong neutralizing antibody response.

Dr. John Lewis, CEO of Aegis Life, Inc. Dr. Lewis is a seasoned entrepreneur. Ten years ago, John co-founded Entos and built it from scratch to profitability without raising any capital; Entos is now a profitable healthcare biotechnology company with a 13-year development history and is where the breakthrough genetic delivery mechanism, Fusogenix, was created. John is an expert in nanotechnology and nanoparticles with decades of experience innovating new diagnostics and treatments. He has a passion for nanotechnology and the study of infectious diseases and has built a strong team of 30 scientists and clinical staff at Aegis life, Inc. to develop the only DNA vaccine platform that can scale quickly enough to meet the demands of the current pandemic. John is the Frank and Carla Sojonky Chair of Prostate Cancer Research at the University of Alberta. He is the CSO of OncoSenX, a company deploying the Proteo-Lipid Vehicle (PLV) gene therapy platform to treat several cancers. He is also CEO of Nanostics, a company focused on novel, non-invasive diagnostic tests on coronavirus. Dr. Lewis earned a PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Victoria and a BSc in Genetics from the University of Western Ontario. As we look to leaders in the health industry to make strides in the fight against COVID-19, Dr. Lewis brings passion, innovation, and experience to the table, with a technology that just might bring the vaccine we’ve all been anxiously awaiting.