RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C., April 11 /PRNewswire/ -- AlphaVax, Inc. announced that immunization of volunteers has been initiated in clinical trials evaluating vaccines for cytomegalovirus (CMV) and influenza developed with the company’s novel alphavaccine technology.
In the first study, healthy volunteers are being immunized with a human version of an alphavaccine that was shown to be effective in protecting against congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease in a preclinical study published in the March 15, 2007 issue of the Journal of Infectious Disease. Results from this clinical trial will be used to design future studies in target populations such as solid organ transplant recipients.
In the second study, volunteers are being immunized with an influenza alphavaccine that contains the hemagglutinin gene from a single strain of influenza and was shown to be effective in protecting animals against experimental influenza infection. Subsequent trials will test additional vaccine candidates for seasonal and potentially pandemic strains of influenza.
“CMV and influenza are two diseases of major public health importance,” said Dr. Jeff Chulay, AlphaVax’s chief medical officer. “These clinical trials are an important step towards delivering products based on our vaccine technology to those who can benefit from them.”
These projects were funded in part by grants AI62632 and AI060060 from the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services.
About AlphaVax
AlphaVax, Inc. is a North Carolina-based, clinical-stage company focused on developing new vaccine products for infectious diseases, biodefense and cancer.
AlphaVax uses a novel alphavirus vector platform technology that has proven to be highly flexible and immunogenic, and allows the same anufacturing process and formulation strategies to be applied to many different products.
In addition to programs in influenza and cytomegalovirus, important alphavaccine disease targets include cancer, HIV and a number of biodefense vaccine products. The AlphaVax headquarters and R&D facilities are located in Research Triangle Park, NC, and its GMP manufacturing facility is located in Lenoir, NC. The company employs more than 70 staff with expertise spanning vaccine design, process development, GMP manufacturing, quality assurance, and regulatory and clinical affairs.
AlphaVax, Inc.
CONTACT: Jeff Chulay of AlphaVax, +1-919-595-0399
Web site: http://www.alphavax.com/
