Dynavax Anthrax Vaccine Induces High Antibody Responses

Dynavax Technologies has presented data from preclinical models suggesting that the company's immunostimulatory sequence (ISS)-based anthrax vaccine has the potential to confer higher levels of immunity quickly and effectively against the threat of anthrax infection, and may represent a potent new vaccine approach for anthrax.

The vaccine demonstrated a significant increase in potency when compared to the currently available anthrax vaccine and a prototype second-generation vaccine.

Dynavax's anthrax vaccine is composed of recombinant anthrax protective antigen, or rPA, combined with advanced ISS enhanced by a proprietary formulation. The data showed that rPA combined with ISS generated significantly higher antibody responses compared to rPA alone or rPA combined with the standard vaccine adjuvant, alum. The vaccine also provided protective immunity against anthrax challenge in a highly susceptible mouse strain.