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Biotech / Medical : VICL (Vical Labs) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Scott H. Davis who wrote (983)	2/9/1999 4:38:00 PM
From: Pseudo Biologist	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 1972

Vical seems to have an AIDS vaccine program with Merck. From the most recent 10K: INFECTIOUS DISEASE VACCINES Vical and its collaborators have generated preclinical data demonstrating that direct intramuscular injection of specific genes can induce a potent, specific and prolonged immune response to infectious disease-causing agents. In preclinical models, a direct injection of genes for antigens of influenza resulted in both antibody-mediated and cell-mediated immunity that was protective across widely divergent strains of influenza. Thus, Vical's naked DNA vaccine technology may enable the development of a new generation of preventive vaccine products effective against a variety of microorganism strains. Additional studies by Vical, its collaborators and several independent laboratories have extended these findings to preclinical models for more than a dozen infectious diseases, suggesting a wide array of potential targets for Vical's naked DNA vaccine technology. In May 1991, Vical entered into a commercial collaborative agreement with Merck & Co., Inc. ("Merck") to undertake research and development in the area of infectious disease preventive vaccines. As of April 1995, Merck had exercised its options to exclusive licenses to use Vical's naked DNA technology for development of vaccines directed against seven human infectious disease targets: influenza, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), herpes, hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C, human papilloma virus (HPV) and tuberculosis. The 1991 Agreement was amended in December 1995 and again in November 1997 to grant Merck rights to develop and market therapeutic vaccines against HPV, HIV and HBV. Merck has conducted Phase I clinical trials with a preventive DNA vaccine candidate for influenza since April 1996.