VaxDesign Signs Cooperative R&D Agreement with USAMRIID
VaxDesign has recently signed a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement for Production and Characterization of Lassa Virus-Specific Human Monoclonal Antibodies U. S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases at Fort Dietrick.
Lassa virus (LASV), a member of the Arenaviridae family, causes a severe, often fatal, hemorrhagic fever that is endemic to West Africa; where as many as 300,000 infections occur per year. The mortality rate for hospitalized Lassa fever patients is 15%-20%, and during epidemics, the rate can reach as high as 50%. Furthermore, approximately one-third of Lassa fever cases result in deafness. The virus is maintained in nature by its peridomestic host, the Mastomys spp. rat, and is primarily transmitted to humans by aerosolized urine of infected animals. LASV has also been associated with severe nosocomial outbreaks involving health care workers and laboratory personnel Presently, there is no licensed vaccine or anti-viral therapy available for the prevention or treatment of this disease. The threat posed by LASV is heightened further by the potential use of the virus as a biological weapon, which is substantiated by the stability of the virion, demonstrated person-to-person transmission, the severity of disease, lack of therapeutic and prophylactic reagents, and the capacity for aerosilization. As a result, LASV is classified as a Category A agent by the Centers for Disease Control. Collectively, these factors underscore the need for effective vaccines or therapies against Lassa fever.
The proposed CRADA will generate human immune cells that secrete LASV-specific antibodies for use as a rapid and effective therapy against infection. Treatment efficacy will be characterized using in vitro and in vivo methods.
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