Bioject signs collaborative research agreement with IAVI

The new agreement extends through December 2009. The International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) and the St Stephen’s AIDS Trust at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital have initiated a Phase I clinical trial in London, UK to test a prime-boost combination of two HIV vaccine candidates. One of the vaccine candidates, a DNA-based vaccine called Advax, will be administered using the Biojector 2000.

Pat Fast, chief medical officer of IAVI, said: We welcome this collaboration with Bioject to assess the value of their needle-free device for the delivery of this DNA HIV vaccine candidate. It is essential that we enhance immune responses against HIV, which may be achieved by optimizing vaccine design, but also by evaluating alternative vaccine delivery methods.

Bioject Medical Technologies is a developer and manufacturer of needle-free injection therapy systems (NFITS). NFITS provide an empowering technology and works by forcing medication at high speed through a tiny orifice held against the skin. This creates a fine stream of high-pressure fluid penetrating the skin and depositing medication in the tissue beneath.