The funding has been received by The University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) in Galveston, which is collaborating with Inviragen to develop the vaccine.
Inviragen and UTMB had recently executed an exclusive licensing pact for the development and commercialization of this novel CHIKV vaccine.
Currently, the CHIKV vaccine is undergoing preclinical testing by scientists at Inviragen, the UTMB, the University of Wisconsin (UW) and the Division of Vector-Borne Diseases (DVBD) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Inviragen co-founder and chief scientific officer Jorge Osorio said through their collaboration with UTMB, UW and DVBD they have established the preclinical safety, immunogenicity and efficacy of this chikungunya vaccine candidate in multiple animal models.
"This grant from NIAID will partially fund efforts at UTMB and Inviragen to further characterize the vaccine, complete the remaining preclinical testing and manufacturing, and file an investigational new drug application with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to begin human clinical testing," Osorio said.