Vical Acquires Rights to West Nile Virus Vaccine

San-Diego-based Vical has secured a licence from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to proprietary technology used in a human DNA vaccine for West Nile Virus.

Vical is developing the vaccine under a cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA) with the Vaccine Research Center (VRC) at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the National Institutes of Health. The CDC license gives Vical additional rights to commercialise the vaccine, which also uses Vical's patented gene delivery technology.

Vical's president and chief executive officer, Vijay B Samant, said: 'The need for an effective vaccine for West Nile Virus is driven by the increasing incidence of severe disease each year. As we announced in October 2003, we are developing a human DNA vaccine for West Nile Virus together with the VRC. We have provided research, product development and manufacturing support for the vaccine, and we continue working with the VRC to advance this program toward human testing. Results from our early preclinical studies with the VRC have shown protection in mice, and we are further encouraged by independent tests at the CDC, in which a similar DNA vaccine was shown to protect horses from West Nile Virus after a single injection.'