Jan 12 2010
Inhibitex, Inc. (Nasdaq: INHX) today announced that its collaborator,
Pfizer, Inc., has initiated patient recruitment for 408-patient,
randomized, double-blind Phase I clinical trial to evaluate the safety,
tolerability, and immunogenicity of three ascending dose levels of a
3-antigen Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) vaccine (SA3Ag) in
healthy adults. The SA3Ag vaccine contains an antigen originating from
the Company’s MSCRAMM® protein platform. The Company licensed
its MSCRAMM® protein platform to Wyeth (acquired by Pfizer in
2009) on an exclusive worldwide basis for the development of active
vaccines against staphylococcus in 2001. Pfizer is responsible for all
clinical development, manufacturing and marketing of the vaccine.
Inhibitex is eligible to receive a payment upon the achievement of this
and future regulatory milestones, as well as royalties on future net
sales.
In addition to announcing the initiation of this Phase I vaccine study,
the Company also provided an update on the status of FV-100, a highly
potent oral antiviral compound in Phase II clinical development for the
treatment of herpes zoster (shingles), and INX-189, a nucleotide
polymerase inhibitor in late preclinical development for the treatment
for chronic infections caused by hepatitis C virus (HCV).
New strategy targets rare B cells for effective HIV vaccine development