Funding will advance development of a preventive vaccine and a therapeutic DNA-based vaccine.
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) has awarded Profectus BioSciences two contracts totaling $21.6 million to develop a preventive HIV vaccine delivered with the company’s recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus (rVSV) vector and also a therapeutic HIV DNA based vaccine.
The HIV preventive contract provides funding for the company to complete IND-enabling toxicology studies, cGMP-manufacturing of the company’s prototype HIV rVSV vaccine, and the conduct of a Phase I human clinical trial projected to begin in late 2009.
The HIV therapeutic contract will allow the company to complete the proposed development program, preclinical optimization, immunogenicity and challenge studies in animal models, IND-enabling toxicology studies, cGMP-manufacturing of all components of the DNA vaccine and the conduct of a Phase I clinical trial projected to begin in late 2009.
Both contracts continue development of vaccines recently licensed to Profectus from Wyeth Pharmaceuticals. “We believe that combining the recently licensed technologies around DNA vaccines, molecular adjuvants, and rVSV as a delivery vector coupled with the novel HIV envelope construct previously licensed to the company from the Institute of Human Virology provides Profectus with the broadest platform in HIV vaccine development in the industry,” said Profectus CEO and president Shawn Patrick O’Brien.
