GenVec's malaria vacc induces strong T-cell resp

US drug developer GenVec says that encouraging clinical and preclinical data on its malaria vaccine were presented at an international conference on the parasitic disease that took place in Alpbach, Austria.

Data from the second cohort of volunteers in a Phase I/IIa clinical trial sponsored by the US Naval Medical Research Center and the Military Malaria Vaccine Program showed that the investigational product induced strong T-cell responses against the target antigens in all volunteers. The vaccine, developed under a cooperative research and development agreement between GenVec and the NMRC was produced using the US firm's proprietary 293-ORF6 cell line and associated manufacturing process. The vaccine is designed to provide protection against both liver and blood stages of the malaria parasite, the firm noted.

According to Thomas Richie, director of the malaria program, Navy Component, NMRC is now planning to evaluate the protective effects of the vaccine following experimental challenge with P. falciparum parasites in the second half of the study. This clinical trial is being conducted under sponsorship from the US Army Medical Materiel Development Activity and with financial support from the US Agency for International Development, the Congressionally Directed Peer Review Medical Program and the Military Infectious Diseases Research Program.