Hawaii Biotech has developed a West Nile sub-unit vaccine designed with high fidelity to the native viral antigen in order to provide protective immunity to the recipients. The vaccine is non-replicating and designed to be safer than live-attenuated vaccines, the company said.
According to Elliot Parks, president and CEO of Hawaii Biotech, the preliminary safety results and immunologic data from the 24 subjects treated with three doses of the vaccine will be available early in 2009. Complete results are expected to be announced by third quarter 2009.
Hawaii Biotech anticipates initiating additional studies to determine immunogenicity and continued safety of the vaccine in mid-2009.
Dr Parks said: “The trial has gone very well and we are excited to analyze the complete safety and immunologic data.”