EpiVax
Corporate brand
UnclaimedEpiVax is an American biotechnology company focused on computational vaccine design and immune-engineering technologies.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
EpiVax is an American biotechnology company founded in 1998 by Anne Searls De Groot. The company operates in the biotechnology and immunology fields, with work centered on computational analysis of immune responses, vaccine design, and the engineering of therapeutic or vaccine-related proteins. Its best-known technology platform is EpiMatrix, a vaccine-design system for identifying and evaluating T-cell epitopes. EpiVax holds the exclusive license to this technology. The company’s approach is based on the idea that vaccine and biologic development can be improved by understanding how protein sequences are processed and presented to the human immune system. T-cell epitopes are portions of antigens that can be recognized by T cells. Computational prediction and analysis of these regions can help researchers assess immunogenicity, prioritize candidate sequences, and design products intended to generate useful immune responses. EpiVax has also developed ISPRI, a proprietary T-cell epitope modification technology. ISPRI is intended to support the engineering of protein sequences by modifying their immune properties while preserving the characteristics required for a therapeutic or vaccine application. EpiVax’s activities have included collaborations with academic institutions, pharmaceutical companies, and other biotechnology organizations. In 2015, it collaborated with Ipsen on an approach for producing botulinum neurotoxin and Targeted Secretion Inhibitor therapeutics. In that project, EpiVax applied ISPRI to generate an engineered botulinum neurotoxin sequence. The collaboration illustrates the company’s broader use of immune-engineering methods beyond conventional prophylactic vaccines, including therapeutic proteins and biologic development. During the COVID-19 pandemic, EpiVax worked with the University of Georgia and Immunomic Therapeutics on EPV-CoV19, a COVID-19 vaccine candidate. The program reflected EpiVax’s focus on computationally informed antigen design and T-cell immunity. The available reference material identifies the candidate and the organizations involved but does not establish a commercial launch, regulatory approval, or current market status for EPV-CoV19. EpiVax is therefore best characterized as a technology-driven biotechnology company rather than a mass-market consumer brand. Its identity is associated with licensed computational vaccine-design capabilities, proprietary immune-engineering methods, collaborative research, and the development of vaccine or therapeutic candidates. Publicly available material supplied for this entry does not provide enough information to document its current ownership, detailed operating footprint, executive roster, commercial revenues, or a complete product pipeline.
History
EpiVax was founded in 1998 by Anne Searls De Groot as an American biotechnology company focused on computational immunology and vaccine development. Its work developed around the use of bioinformatics and immune-response analysis to inform the design of vaccines and biologic therapeutics. Rather than presenting itself primarily as a conventional pharmaceutical manufacturer, EpiVax has been associated with technology platforms that help researchers identify immune-relevant regions of proteins and modify candidate sequences for particular development objectives. A central part of the company’s technology portfolio is EpiMatrix, a vaccine-design technology to which EpiVax holds an exclusive license. EpiMatrix is used to analyze protein sequences and identify potential T-cell epitopes. Such epitopes are antigen fragments that can be presented to immune cells and recognized by T-cell receptors. In vaccine and biologic research, this type of analysis can help characterize likely immune responses, compare candidate antigens, and guide the selection or redesign of sequences. The platform reflects EpiVax’s emphasis on computational methods as a complement to laboratory experimentation. EpiVax also developed ISPRI, described as a proprietary T-cell epitope modification technology. The company has applied this technology to the engineering of biologically active protein sequences. The purpose of the approach is to alter selected immune characteristics of a sequence while retaining properties needed for the intended therapeutic or vaccine use. This gave EpiVax a role in projects extending beyond the design of traditional preventive vaccines. In 2015, EpiVax collaborated with Ipsen on a new approach for producing botulinum neurotoxin, or BoNT, and Targeted Secretion Inhibitor therapeutics. As part of that work, EpiVax applied ISPRI to generate an engineered BoNT sequence. The project demonstrated the potential application of the company’s immune-engineering methods to therapeutic biologics and toxin-derived or toxin-related research. The available material does not specify the eventual regulatory or commercial outcome of the collaboration. In 2020, EpiVax developed EPV-CoV19, a COVID-19 vaccine candidate, in partnership with the University of Georgia and Immunomic Therapeutics. The program emerged during the rapid expansion of vaccine research in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and was consistent with EpiVax’s focus on computational antigen design and T-cell immunity. The supplied reference identifies EPV-CoV19 as a development candidate but does not establish that it reached regulatory approval or commercial distribution. The available public reference material provides only a limited view of EpiVax’s corporate development. It confirms the company’s founding, its licensed EpiMatrix technology, the ISPRI platform, the 2015 Ipsen collaboration, and the 2020 EPV-CoV19 program. It does not provide sufficiently detailed information about later clinical development, commercial products, ownership, revenue, headquarters, leadership changes, or current partnerships. Accordingly, EpiVax is documented here primarily as an immunology-focused biotechnology and technology platform company with a history of collaborative vaccine and biologic research.
- 2020
EPV-CoV19 COVID-19 vaccine candidate
[1]EpiVax developed EPV-CoV19 with the University of Georgia and Immunomic Therapeutics.
- 2015
Collaboration with Ipsen on engineered botulinum neurotoxin
[1]EpiVax collaborated with Ipsen on approaches for producing botulinum neurotoxin and Targeted Secretion Inhibitor therapeutics, applying ISPRI to generate an engineered BoNT sequence.
- 1998
EpiVax is founded
[1]Anne Searls De Groot founded EpiVax as an American biotechnology company.
Products and positioning
A specialist biotechnology company using computational immunology and T-cell epitope engineering to support vaccine and biologic development.
Computational vaccine-design technology
EpiMatrix
EpiMatrix is a vaccine-design technology licensed exclusively to EpiVax. It uses computational immunology methods to analyze protein sequences and identify potential T-cell epitopes, supporting the assessment and design of vaccine antigens and other biologic candidates.
T-cell epitope modification technology
ISPRI
ISPRI is EpiVax’s proprietary T-cell epitope modification technology. The company has applied it to engineer protein sequences with modified immune properties, including an engineered botulinum neurotoxin sequence developed in collaboration with Ipsen.
COVID-19 vaccine candidate · 2020
EPV-CoV19
EPV-CoV19 was a COVID-19 vaccine candidate developed by EpiVax in partnership with the University of Georgia and Immunomic Therapeutics. The available material identifies it as a development program but does not document regulatory approval or commercial availability.
Brand decisions
2020
Development of the EPV-CoV19 vaccine candidateProduct launchBackground
The COVID-19 pandemic created an urgent need for vaccine research and accelerated programs based on novel antigen-design approaches.
Action taken
EpiVax worked with the University of Georgia and Immunomic Therapeutics to develop EPV-CoV19.
Aftermath
The supplied reference identifies EPV-CoV19 as a vaccine candidate but does not establish approval, commercialization, or subsequent clinical outcomes.
Recent events
Reported
EpiVax establishes the Vax Gives Back Fund with Rhode Island Foundation[2]
EpiVax announced the establishment of the Vax Gives Back Fund at the Rhode Island Foundation. The fund sets aside a yearly budget for EpiVax employees to distribute to local nonprofit organizations.
Reported
EpiVax out-licenses COVID-19 vaccine candidate to EpiVax Therapeutics[3]
EpiVax announced that it had out-licensed its COVID-19 vaccine candidate, EPV-CoV-19, to EpiVax Therapeutics.
Reported
EpiVax licenses ISPRI toolkit to AbCellera[4]
EpiVax announced that it licensed its ISPRI in silico immunogenicity screening toolkit to AbCellera, which plans to use it in its antibody discovery programs.
Reported
eTheRNA announces international consortium for CoV-2 vaccine development[5]
eTheRNA announced that it had formed a consortium with North American and European partners to develop an mRNA vaccine against CoV-2. The announcement also said preclinical development had started.
Reported
EpiVax and University of Georgia collaborate on COVID-19 vaccine project[6]
EpiVax announced a collaboration with University of Georgia vaccine expert Ted Ross to accelerate efforts to create a vaccine against COVID-19. The two organizations also applied to the National Institutes of Health for additional project funding.
Sources6 sources
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