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news.Nabi Biopharmaceuticals has been awarded a $4.1 million grant by the US National Institute on Drug Abuse. The grant will partially fund the company's development program for NicVax, which is being developed to treat nicotine addiction and prevent smoking relapse.
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By the end of 2005, Nabi intends to announce preliminary safety and immunogenicity results from its European phase II study into NicVax, and be in a position to initiate a pivotal efficacy trial.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), tobacco use is the single leading preventable cause of death in the US and is responsible for more than 440,000 deaths each year. The CDC estimates that tobacco use causes $75.5 billion in excess medical costs and $81.9 billion in illness-related productivity losses each year in the US.
“NicVax, the only vaccine being developed in the US and Europe, is potentially advantageous in several important, scientific and commercially strategic ways,” stated Dr Henrik Rasmussen, senior vice president of clinical medical and regulatory affairs at Nabi.
“NicVax appears to be very well tolerated, even at 200mcg, the highest dose level tested, allowing the company to explore higher and potentially even more efficacious doses,” he continued.