full text so we have details for reference...
Vical Receives Grant From NIH for Development of Human Vaccine Against Pandemic Avian Flu
Thursday September 15, 7:30 am ET
SAN DIEGO, Sept. 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Vical Incorporated (Nasdaq: VICL - News) today announced that it has been awarded a two-year, $2.9 million challenge grant from the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Funding under the grant will be released in stages contingent upon the achievement of development milestones, and would support the development of a DNA vaccine against naturally emerging or weaponized strains of avian influenza.
In the initial activities covered by the grant, Vical will be collaborating with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tenn., a world-renowned center of expertise in influenza research, including avian influenza. The goal is to design a vaccine that could be developed and manufactured quickly and safely, without handling the infectious organism, and stockpiled longer than conventional vaccines. The vaccine is expected to target both variable surface proteins and unchanging core proteins of the virus for protection against potential pandemic outbreaks characterized by highly virulent pathogens, rapid human-to-human disease transmission, and minimal prior immunity.
"We believe that our DNA vaccine technology is well suited to address the potential threats from emerging pathogens such as avian influenza virus," said Vijay B. Samant, Vical's President and Chief Executive Officer. "The NIH is also using our technology in the development of vaccines against other emerging pathogens including the SARS coronavirus, Ebola virus, and West Nile virus."
About Vical
Vical researches and develops biopharmaceutical products based on its patented DNA delivery technologies for the prevention and treatment of serious or life-threatening diseases. Potential applications of the company's DNA delivery technology include DNA vaccines for infectious diseases or cancer, in which the expressed protein is an immunogen; cancer immunotherapeutics, in which the expressed protein is an immune system stimulant; and cardiovascular therapies, in which the expressed protein is an angiogenic growth factor. The company has retained all rights to its internally developed product candidates. In addition, the company collaborates with major pharmaceutical companies and biotechnology companies that give it access to complementary technologies or greater resources. These strategic partnerships provide the company with mutually beneficial opportunities to expand its product pipeline and serve significant unmet medical needs. Additional information on Vical is available at www.vical.com. |
