Vical received a $1.3 million contract from the Naval Medical Research Center (NMRC) to manufacture a dengue vaccine and adjuvant for testing. The NMRC will conduct preclinical and Phase I evaluations of this DNA vaccine, which uses Vical’s Vaxfectin adjuvant.
The NMRC developed this tetravalent dengue vaccine containing premembrane (prM) and envelope (E) genes for for all four serotypes of dengue using Vaxfectin under a CRADA with Vical. The vaccine will be tested at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research with the sponsorship of the U.S. Army Medical Materiel Development Activity.
Dengue fever is part of the Flavivirus family and can be caused by four serotypes: DEN-1, DEN-2, DEN-3, and DEN-4. The U.S. government intends to develop a vaccine to protect troops being deployed to dengue endemic regions.