From Prediction to Proof: Accelerating Safer Biologics
EpiVax has been providing immunogenicity expertise for over 25 years, helping pharmaceutical and biotech teams generate the insights they need to make informed decisions across biologic and vaccine programs. Our work ensures the success of pipelines at every stage, supporting companies ranging from emerging startups to global industry leaders.
We take a risk-based, fit-for-purpose approach to immunogenicity assessment, helping developers focus on what matters most during each phase. From early discovery through regulatory submission and beyond, we integrate computational analyses, experimental in vitro assays, and expert consulting to generate actionable data that informs downstream development and regulatory strategies, mitigates risk, preserves resources, and strengthens confidence in program decisions.
Our goal is to equip developers with the tools and insights needed to successfully advance safer and more effective treatments worldwide. As EpiVax continues to expand our capabilities, partnerships, and team of scientists, we’re stepping into a healthier future for all.
Founders
Anne De Groot, M.D.
Anne De Groot, M.D.
Annie De Groot is internationally known for her research on the human immune system’s response to vaccines and therapeutics. She graduated from Smith College in 1978 and earned her medical degree at University of Chicago in 1983. After internal medical residency, she obtained advanced training in immunoinformatics and vaccinology with Michael Good, Russell Howard and Jay Berzofsky at the National Institutes of Health, and then returned for a fellowship in ID at New England Medical Center.
She then moved to Brown University, establishing the TB/HIV Research Lab as an emerging center for immune-informatics driven Vaccine design. EpiVax spun out from that laboratory in 1998 and she gradually shifted her effort from 20% to 80% effort at the company. In 2008, she was invited to move her academic affiliation from Brown University to University of Rhode Island, in order to establish the Institute for Immunology and Informatics (iCubed). In 2020, Dr. De Groot joined the University of Georgia as a Senior Professor (Research) in the College of Veterinary Medicine/Center for Vaccines and Immunology.
Dr. De Groot has also served as Founder/Scientific Director of the GAIA Vaccine Foundation and as Volunteer Medical Director at Clínica Esperanza/Hope Clinic. She has been the recipient of many awards for her groundbreaking work at the intersection of immunology and informatics and is recognized as an early adopter of this technology and an evangelist for the use of immunoinformatics to improve vaccines and protein therapeutics.
William Martin
William Martin
William Martin is a co-founder and longtime employee of EpiVax.
He is trained in Economics and Business Administration, System Analysis, and Computational Immunology.
In his current role Mr. Martin serves as a consultant to the Chief Information (CIO) and Chief Technology (CTO) officers of EpiVax.
A History of Innovation
EpiVax began with a simple idea at exactly the right moment.
In the early 1990s, as genome sequencing began to accelerate, Annie De Groot, MD saw the need for computational methods to predict the human immune response to a potential antigen. With the help of Bill Martin, that idea took the shape of an in silico T cell epitope mapping tool called EpiMatrix®, and leveraging the utility of this core tool, EpiVax was born.
At the time, Annie and Bill were working at the cutting edge of both technology and immunogenicity assessment, taking a computational approach that was far from standard. That daring mindset became the basis for the company’s motto, “Fearless Science,” which guided many future developments and continues to guide how the EpiVax team approaches new challenges today.
After starting with EpiMatrix®, EpiVax continued to pioneer the field of immunoinformatics over the next 25 years, building a number of new tools. Each tool expanded upon the application of the foundational T cell epitope identification analysis. These concepts eventually evolved into early versions of the ISPRI and iVAX toolkits, which were applied to arising questions across therapeutic and vaccine development. Then, a key immunoinformatics advancement that enabled T cell epitope characterization, JanusMatrix, took the toolkits to the next level, solidifying EpiVax’s in silico analysis approach as best-in-class.
Along the way, the flagship computational analyses were paired with in vitro validation methods. Wet lab assays ensured translation of the in silico predictions to real-world biology and provided complementary assessment of other immunogenicity factors.
Since its founding, EpiVax has established itself as a thought leader in the field, with more than 230 peer-reviewed publications in many well-respected scientific journals that demonstrate innumerable applications of the in silico tools and in vitro assays developed along the way:
- EpiMatrix® has enabled quantification and benchmarking of T cell epitope density.
- JanusMatrix™ has advanced understanding of immune evasion and tolerance, enabling more accurate and insightful T cell epitope analysis.
- ISPRI™ and iVAX™ have enabled the integration of in silico therapeutic risk assessment and vaccine design into actual development workflows of global pharma and biotech.
- PANDA® has supported evolving regulatory expectations around bioequivalence and safety analyses of generic peptide therapeutics.
- Ancer® has enabled identification of T cell epitopes in individual cancer mutanomes for personalized cancer vaccine development.
- EpiCC™ has advanced understanding of the role of T cell epitopes in vaccine efficacy, enabling more effective vaccine development and pathogen surveillance.
- PigMatrix™ and Circo-Match™ have extended EpiVax immunoinformatics applications into animal health.
Throughout its evolution, EpiVax has partnered with global pharma, biotech, government agencies, and academics to further these applications and to support the progression of safer, more effective therapeutics and vaccines.
Though the biotechnology landscape has become nearly unrecognizable since EpiVax’s first days, through it all, EpiVax has remained at the forefront of immunogenicity science by continuing the push the boundaries of what’s possible; all in the spirit of Fearless Science.
Corporate Responsibility
At EpiVax, we aspire to see beyond the horizon and contribute to something greater than ourselves. To achieve this, we empower every team member to actively participate in building that legacy.
We believe that it is our common responsibility to support the community in which we live and work. Therefore, EpiVax and our team members regularly provide charitable support to local, national and international non-profits financially and through volunteer hours. In 2023, we contributed to more than 25 different organizations in our city and across the world in areas such as animal welfare, disaster recovery, homelessness and food insecurity, the arts, and more. Our dedication to giving back further emphasizes our commitment to improving the lives of others, whether it be through vaccination, therapeutics, or by lending a hand to our neighbors.