Large Scale Biology Corporation Awarded HIV Vaccine Research Grant
VACAVILLE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 24, 2003--Large Scale Biology Corporation (Nasdaq:LSBC - News) has been awarded a 2-year research grant by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) to investigate the potential of LSBC's proprietary plant viral vector technology for producing preventative and therapeutic HIV-1 peptide vaccines. The work will be conducted at LSBC's Vacaville, California, facility.
Epitope display on the surface of plant viruses holds significant promise for the cost-effective production of large amounts of peptide vaccines. LSBC's peptide display technology expresses epitopes on the surface of the Company's proprietary plant viral vectors for the efficient manufacture of vaccines in non-recombinant, non-food crop plants. Kevin J. Ryan, President and CEO of LSBC, called the award "important validation of LSBC's leadership in novel vaccine technologies."
Last year, in clinical research for the world's first plant-produced cancer vaccine, the Company demonstrated that its biomanufacturing platform could produce a vaccine that is safe for humans, stimulating the correct immune responses in patients. "The new HIV-1 project supported by NIAID will allow us to determine the versatility of our vaccine technologies," Mr. Ryan said. "Success in this effort may allow us to develop an improved product to help control a disease that is inherently difficult to manage by conventional treatments."
The award period for NIAID Grant R21 AI055346 entitled "Display of HIV-1 epitopes on Plant Viral Particles" extends from September 15, 2003 until August 31, 2005. |
