Inviragen has received a $600,000 grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health, to partially support its continued efforts to develop a safe and effective dengue vaccine. The two-year grant will fund a collaborative effort led by Inviragen and involving scientists at the University of Wisconsin and Division of Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The supported work will include additional optimization of Inviragen’s vaccine to generate more potent immune responses.
“This is the second major grant from the NIH to partially support Inviragen’s dengue vaccine development efforts,” said Dr. Dan Stinchcomb, Inviragen’s Chief Executive Officer. “The additional funding reflects Inviragen’s progress in this competitive field.”
“During the preclinical characterization of our first dengue vaccine, we learned that the immune response could be further enhanced by making genetic improvements in one of the four vaccine components,” said Dr. Jorge Osorio, Inviragen’s Chief Scientific Officer and Assistant Professor at the University of Wisconsin. “This grant will fund the engineering and preclinical testing of a second generation dengue vaccine. If successful, we will incorporate the new constructs into future clinical trials.”