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Improved Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus vaccines

Award Information
Agency: Department of Defense
Branch: Office for Chemical and Biological Defense
Contract: W911NF-09-C-0072
Agency Tracking Number: C081-105-0080
Amount: $749,999.00
Phase: Phase II
Program: SBIR
Solicitation Topic Code: CBD08-105
Solicitation Number: 2008.1
Timeline
Solicitation Year: 2008
Award Year: 2009
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): 2009-07-31
Award End Date (Contract End Date): 2011-07-31
Small Business Information
2901 South Loop Drive Suite 3360
Ames, IA 50010
United States
DUNS: 606727076
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: No
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No
Principal Investigator
 Ramon Flick
 Acting Chief Scientific O
 (515) 296-3944
 rflick@bpsys.net
Business Contact
 Carl Langren
Title: Chief Financial Officer
Phone: (515) 296-3819
Email: clangren@bpsys.net
Research Institution
N/A
Abstract

We hypothesize that the application of the broad-spectrum immune-stimulatory and -modulatory HyperAcute alphaGal Adjuvant Technology will enhance the potency and effectiveness of VEEV vaccine candidates. To complement the exciting preclinical and clinical results obtained with alphaGal-modified anti-cancer vaccines, and preclinical studies with both Ebolavirus and Influenza virus, we will apply the alphaGal Adjuvant Technology to improve the potency of antiviral vaccine candidates for VEEV. Initially, we will focus on the improvement of different vaccine candidates against VEEV as a proof of concept of the broad applicability of the alphaGal Adjuvant Technology. We will generate and compare the immunogenicity and efficacy of several alphaGal-modified VEEV vaccine candidates. For that we will: (i) Generate alphaGal-modified vaccines, (ii) Develop the assays required for potency, purity, identity and quality, (iii) determine the immunogenicity of alphaGal-modified vaccines in a mouse model, (iv) identify the most potent vaccine candidates by lethal challenge experiments in a mouse model (under BSL-4 conditions), (v) develop and validate assays to support vaccine cGMP manufacturing and cGMP lot release testing and (vi) perform efficacy studies with most potent vaccine candidates by lethal challenge experiments in a NHP model.

* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *

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