Ananova:

Acambis PLC said it is encouraged by the safety and immunogenicity of its ChimeriVax-West Nile vaccine at the pre-clinical stage, which showed the drug was safe and induced high levels of neutralising antibodies.

Clinical trials are expected to begin in early 2003.

The news was released in a presentation on the development of the ChimeriVax-West Nile vaccine at the Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy in San Diego, by Acambis project leader Dr Juan Arroyo on Saturday.

In August 2000, Acambis was awarded a $3 million grant by the US National Institute of Health to develop a vaccine against West Nile virus, which is expected to cover the costs of R&D up to the initial clinical trials.

Initially found in Africa, the Middle East, Europe and Asia, the virus first appeared in the US in the summer of 1999 - where it has since spread to 41 states and affected more than 2,200 people, causing more than 100 deaths.

West Nile virus is transmitted to humans by infected mosquitoes and can cause West Nile encephalitis, for which no vaccine currently exists.

© AFX News

Story filed: 09:06 Monday 30th September 2002

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