GENVEC, NAVY INITIATE MALARIA VACCINE TRIAL

GenVec announced it is collaborating with the Naval Medical Research Center (NMRC) to conduct the first clinical study of an experimental malaria vaccine based on the company's gene-delivery and cell-culture technologies for the production of recombinant adenovirus vaccine vectors.

GenVec has been collaborating with the NMRC for the past four years to develop adenovector-based malaria vaccine candidates. The vaccine now undergoing clinical testing consists of two adenovectors, each encoding a different antigen from the protozoal parasite Plasmodium falciparum. The vaccine is designed to stimulate T-cell and antibody immune responses and attack both the liver and blood stages of the parasite. This approach of eliciting a broad-spectrum immune response and attacking multiple stages of the malaria parasite's life cycle has shown promise in preclinical studies, according to the company.

The first phase of the study will evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of two vaccine doses in healthy volunteers. After safety evaluation and confirmation of the optimal dose, the second phase of the study will evaluate the protective effects of the vaccine following exposure to malaria. The ability to safely challenge human volunteers provides a unique opportunity for assessing the efficacy of candidate vaccines prior to the initiation of field trials.