Inviragen, University of Texas receive $3 million grant

FORT COLLINS – Inviragen Inc has been awarded a four-year, $3 million
grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to
develop a vaccine for a mosquito-borne virus called chikungunya (CHIKV).

The University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston will collaborate
with Inviragen on the project, with more than $1.5 million directly
funding product development activities at Inviragen.

The CHIKV vaccine is currently undergoing preclinical testing at
Inviragen, UTMB, the University of Wisconsin and the Division of
Vector-Borne Diseases of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“The grant from NIAID will partially fund efforts at UTMB and Inviragen
to further characterize the vaccine, complete the remaining preclinical
testing and manufacturing and file an investigational new drug
application with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to begin human
clinical testing,´ said Jorge Osorio, co-founder and chief scientific
officer of Inviragen.

The disease is currently endemic in Africa, Asia and other areas of the
world but could spread into the United States from international
travelers.