West Nile Vaccine Will Be Developed in Record Time ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ -- LONDON, Aug 02 (Reuters Health) - The leader of the program to develop a West Nile vaccine said on Monday that it could be ready within 3 to 4 years — half the time it normally takes to launch a new vaccine. Dr. Thomas Monath, vice president of research at OraVax Inc., the US subsidiary of the UK company Peptide Therapeutics, told Reuters Health, "We are quite confident that this is going to be very straightforward and very quick compared with other vaccine developments." He explained in a telephone interview that the company's technology has been proven in the development of vaccines for yellow fever, dengue fever and Japanese encephalitis, which are caused by the same family of viruses as the West Nile virus. Dr. Monath, a former head of the US Army medical corps and researcher at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is widely held to be a leading expert on this virus family. "We are confident that within 6 months or so we will have a candidate vaccine in hand," he said. It would then take a year or so to start clinical trials on human volunteers. "The shortest time frame for most vaccines is about 6 years," he explained. "We think we will halve that...and have a full licence in 3 to 4 years from now." Earlier on Monday, OraVax announced that it has been awarded a fast-track small business innovative research grant by the US National Institutes of Health to develop the vaccine. The phase I award is for $263,000, while the phase II grant will be funded at a level of $2.7 million for up to 2 years. In a statement, the company said that it would use its ChimeriVax technology to help develop the West Nile vaccine. A phase III trial of OraVax's yellow fever vaccine has been completed. The company expects to file for US Food and Drug Administration approval later this year. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ -- <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/">www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance—not soap-boxing—please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'—with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds—is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html <A HREF="http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html">Archives of [EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ <A HREF="http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/">ctrl</A> ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
