Agracetus Grant For HIV Therapy

- Agracetus, a subsidiary of WR Grace & Co, has signed an agreement with the US Army for preclinical development of its Accell gene gun technology for use with its new vaccine candidates being developed for HIV and malaria. The Army will pay Agracetus a $2 million, four-year grant to develop the vaccines. The Accell technology uses compressed gas to propel gold particles laden with DNA directly into the skin. Once inside the skin, the DNA leads to production of viral proteins which stimulate an immunological response.