Vical's H5N1 vaccine provides 100% protection in ferrets

San Diego, USA-based Vical says its avian influenza DNA vaccine candidate, Vaxfectin, provided 100% protection against H5N1 infection in animal models. The firm also reported that a single administration of the agent was sufficient to combat a lethal challenge from the highly-virulent Vietnam/1203/2004 strain of the virus in ferrets.

Vical explained that, in previous studies, it had demonstrated that two doses of the vaccine provided 100% protection against infection. It added that the development of a successful single-dose vaccine for humans would prove beneficial during the predicted pandemic, both in terms of extending supplies of the agent as well as in expediting the rate of response to infection.

Vijay Samant, Vical's president, said that, based on the results, the firm plans to advance the agent into human testing as quickly as possible.