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news.Vical Incorporated has commenced initial human testing of an investigational vaccine targeting West Nile virus at the National Institutes of Health's Clinical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.
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The vaccine, based on Vical’s proprietary DNA delivery technology, was co-developed at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases’ (NIAID) Vaccine Research Center (VRC) and at Vical. Vical manufactured research and clinical supplies of the vaccine, and has an option to exclusive commercialization rights.
West Nile virus has been an increasing seasonal threat in the US over the past several years, causing growing numbers of cases in birds, horses, and humans each summer.
The WNV vaccine encodes two key surface proteins of the West Nile virus. A similar vaccine construct was shown in independent tests at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to protect horses from WNV after a single injection. The trial will enroll 15 healthy adult volunteers, who will each receive three injections at approximately four-week intervals. Subjects will be monitored for safety and immune responses against the encoded WNV proteins.
“Leveraging the inherent advantages of our DNA delivery technology, we have rapidly constructed vaccines and advanced them to human testing,” commented Vical’s president and CEO, Vijay Samant. “The development time and safety advantages of our technology may be critically important for emerging diseases, which often spread rapidly and are potentially life-threatening.”