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VICAL (VICL)

An Obvious success in Fighting Resistant Strains of Influenza

    High-tech and huge efforts pay off at the end of struggling. They began to do for Vical. The  company today that its lead three-component influenza (flu) DNA vaccine candidate provided 100% protection in mice and ferrets against lethal challenges with a highly virulent (Vietnam/1203/2004) H5N1 avian influenza virus.

   The studies were conducted by Richard J. Webby, Ph.D., at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Additionally, simplified versions of Vical's vaccine candidate using only two of the three components provided high levels of protection against multiple human flu strains and against the H5N1 avian flu strain. This is important because a pandemic could arise from a strain other than H5N1. The studies were part of the company's program to develop a DNA vaccine that protects humans against emerging strains of flu virus that have the potential to cause a pandemic. Based on the results, the company is continuing to advance toward human testing of the pandemic flu DNA vaccine candidate.

READ MORE: Vical's DNA Vaccine Provides Complete Protection Against Avian Influenza and Demonstrates Cross-protection Against Multiple Human Flu Strains in Animal Studies

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