DTI grant for MNLpharma's sugar adjuvant technology

UK drug discovery firm MNLpharma says that, in conjunction with Cambridge BioStability and the University of Cambridge, it has received a major grant award from the Department of Trade and Industry to develop controlled-release nanoparticle vaccines. The DTI is providing a grant of L1.5 million ($2.6 million) over three years. The project partners are providing matching funds, bringing the total investment in the program to L3.1 million.

The overall aim of the project is to produce a room-temperature stable, controlled-release vaccine technology. The initial antigens to be tested will be hepatitis B, anthrax and tetanus. The controlled-release technology is being designed to eliminate the need for vaccine booster doses, the subsequent doses required in many courses of vaccination and a common cause of poor compliance in immunization. Room-temperature stable vaccines would remove the requirement for cold storage, which currently results in the loss of product through cold-chain disruption during shipping - a particular problem when transporting and storing vaccines in the developing world.

MNL's role in the project will be to develop an imino sugar adjuvant for incorporation into the products to enhance the immune response to the controlled release vaccines. These small sugar