Vical to present phase 1 data for Vaxfectin(R)-formulated pandemic influenza DNA vaccines
Vical Incorporated (Nasdaq: VICL -News) today announced the scheduled presentation of preliminary human safety and immunogenicity data from a Phase 1 trial of the company’s Vaxfectin®-formulated H5N1 pandemic influenza DNA vaccines on Thursday, July 17, at the IBC Life Sciences Next Generation Vaccines conference (National Harbor, MD -July 17-18).
Vical’s vice President of Vaccine Research, Larry R. Smith, Ph.D., will present preliminary safety and immunogenicity results from this first human trial of vaccines formulated with the company’s patented Vaxfectin® adjuvant. Results from this trial will drive the next steps in the company’s H5N1 pandemic influenza vaccine programme and could expand collaborative opportunities for both the Vaxfectin® adjuvant and the Vical DNA vaccine technology.
The double-sight impaired, placebo-controlled, dose-escalation trial was conducted in approximately 100 healthy volunteers age 18 to 45 at three US clinical sites. The trial was designed to assess safety and immunogenicity following intramuscular vaccination with needle and syringe or with the Biojector® 2000 needle-free injection system in different cohorts, and to evaluate monovalent and trivalent Vaxfectin®-formulated DNA vaccines at various doses.
Vical’s monovalent vaccine contains a plasmid (a closed loop of DNA) encoding the hemagglutinin (HA) surface protein from the H5N1 influenza virus strain, A/Vietnam/1203/04. It is designed primarily to elicit antibody responses against the H5 protein, but could elicit T-cell responses against H5 as well. Vical’s trivalent vaccine contains the H5 plasmid plus separate plasmids encoding consensus sequences of two highly-conserved influenza virus proteins: nucleoprotein (NP) and ion channel protein (M2). The trivalent vaccine is designed to elicit a combination of T-cell and antibody responses against all three proteins. Both vaccines are formulated with the company’s Vaxfectin® adjuvant, which has demonstrated effectiveness with a variety of DNA vaccines in multiple animal models as well as dose-sparing and immune-enhancing ability in animals with a conventional seasonal influenza vaccine.
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 is developing certain infectious disease vaccines and cancer therapeutics internally. 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 address significant unmet medical needs. Additional information on Vical is available at http://www.vical.com.
Contacts: Investors:
Alan R. Engbring
Vical Incorporated
(858) 646-1127
aengbring@vical.com
Website: http://www.vical.com
Media:
Heidi Chokeir, Ph.D., or David Schull
Russo Partners
(619) 814-3512
heidi.chokeir@russopartnersllc.com
Category: Health
