LigoCyte Initiates Study of Norovirus Vaccine

LigoCyte Pharmaceuticals it has initiated the Phase I clinical trial of its investigational norovirus vaccine. The study will assess safety and immunogenicity of LigoCyte's intranasal dry-powder vaccine in healthy adults.

Norovirus infection, well known as the stomach flu, is the most common cause of acute gastroenteritis. "The impact of this highly contagious virus is just now being appreciated as substantial numbers of outbreaks are being recorded this year," Donald Beeman, CEO and chairman of the board at LigoCyte, said.

LigoCyte's Norovirus vaccine is a needle-free, dry-powder formulation based on virus-like particles (VLPs). By preserving the authentic conformation of the viral capsid, VLPs mimic the functional interactions of the live virus, while lacking the ability to reproduce or cause illness.

The vaccine formulation also includes the adjuvant Monophosphoryl Lipid A, provided under license from GlaxoSmithKline, and the nasal delivery enhancer ChiSys (chitosan), provided under license from Archimedes Pharma.