Vical Presents Data OF Phase 2 Trial For TransVax CMV Vaccine

Vical has announced the results from a four-month interim analysis in an ongoing phase 2 trial for TransVax therapeutic cytomegalovirus (CMV) DNA vaccine. The results were presented at the Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC).

Vical claims that the four-month analysis of TransVax vaccine demonstrated a 40% reduction compared with placebo in the percentage of recipients experiencing CMV reactivation. TransVax vaccine showed a 67% decrease in recurrence of CMV reactivation, a 35% decrease in duration of viremia, and a 70% decrease in peak viral load compared with placebo. In addition company also stated that TransVax provided an increased cellular immunological responses to both encoded CMV antigens compared with placebo.

Marissa Wilck, an infectious disease vaccine researcher at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and investigator in the trial, said: “I am very encouraged by these interim results, which suggest that a DNA vaccine may provide clinical benefit in this highly immunocompromised patient population. One of the objectives of this phase 2 trial is to determine the most appropriate endpoints for a phase 3 trial, and we have made great progress with this interim evaluation. I look forward to seeing final data in the first half of 2010, hopefully leading to a successful phase 3 trial for this significant unmet medical need.”

The trial is evaluating the potential for TransVax to prevent CMV reactivation in immunosuppressed CMV-seropositive hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HCT) recipients, which is expected to reduce antiviral usage and CMV-associated disease, the company reported.