Big Pharma backs CMV vaccine

Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis has teamed up with an American biotech company to develop the first commercial vaccine for cytomegalovirus (CMV), which kills or disables tens of thousands of infants every year. Because CMV infection does not usually lead to detectable symptoms in otherwise healthy people, only a handful of researchers have endeavored to develop a CMV vaccine. In fact, the virus is one of the top causes of birth defects; a 1999 National Academy of Sciences report estimated t

Written byBob Grant
| 1 min read

Register for free to listen to this article
Listen with Speechify
0:00
1:00
Share
Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis has teamed up with an American biotech company to develop the first commercial vaccine for cytomegalovirus (CMV), which kills or disables tens of thousands of infants every year. Because CMV infection does not usually lead to detectable symptoms in otherwise healthy people, only a handful of researchers have endeavored to develop a CMV vaccine. In fact, the virus is one of the top causes of birth defects; a 1999 National Academy of Sciences report estimated that CMV costs the US as much as $4.4 billion per year. (See our 2006 article on linkurl:CMV vaccine;http://www.the-scientist.com/article/display/36883/ development efforts). The vaccine candidate, AVX601, was created by scientists at North Carolina-based AlphaVax and has fared well in a linkurl:phase I clinical trial;http://www.alphavax.com/docs/news/news_25.pdf on healthy adults. AVX601 is a single-cycle particle vaccine that carries RNA encoding three antigens--phosphoprotein 65, immediate early protein I, and glycoprotein B--from the CMV virus, and the vaccine was shown to raise levels of neutralizing antibodies and antigen-specific T cells in phase I trial subjects. Now that it has licensed the technology, Novartis will marshal the compound through phase II trials, which are slated to commence sometime this year, according to a linkurl:statement;http://www.novartis.com/newsroom/media-releases/en/2008/1279693.shtml from the company. Janice Kimpel, AlphaVax's vice president of business development, told __The Scientist__ that Novartis plans to develop the vaccine to target adolescent women before they become pregnant and pass CMV on to their unborn children. According to a statement from Novartis, the company paid $20 million (USD) for the rights to AphaVax's CMV vaccine program. Under the deal, Novartis also has an option to make an equity investment of four millions shares at the end of phase II clinical trials. AlphaVax will get milestones and royalties.
**__Related stories:__***linkurl:A Long Shot on Cytomegalovirus;http://www.the-scientist.com/article/display/36883/
[December 2006]*linkurl:Cytomegalovirus cell receptor;http://www.the-scientist.com/article/display/21486/
[24 July 2003]
Interested in reading more?

Become a Member of

The Scientist Logo
Receive full access to more than 35 years of archives, as well as TS Digest, digital editions of The Scientist, feature stories, and much more!
Already a member? Login Here

Meet the Author

  • From 2017 to 2022, Bob Grant was Editor in Chief of The Scientist, where he started in 2007 as a Staff Writer. Before joining the team, he worked as a reporter at Audubon and earned a master’s degree in science journalism from New York University. In his previous life, he pursued a career in science, getting a bachelor’s degree in wildlife biology from Montana State University and a master’s degree in marine biology from the College of Charleston in South Carolina. Bob edited Reading Frames and other sections of the magazine.

    View Full Profile
Share
Illustration of a developing fetus surrounded by a clear fluid with a subtle yellow tinge, representing amniotic fluid.
January 2026, Issue 1

What Is the Amniotic Fluid Composed of?

The liquid world of fetal development provides a rich source of nutrition and protection tailored to meet the needs of the growing fetus.

View this Issue
Redefining Immunology Through Advanced Technologies

Redefining Immunology Through Advanced Technologies

Skip the Wait for Protein Stability Data with Aunty

Skip the Wait for Protein Stability Data with Aunty

Unchained Labs
Graphic of three DNA helices in various colors

An Automated DNA-to-Data Framework for Production-Scale Sequencing

illumina
Exploring Cellular Organization with Spatial Proteomics

Exploring Cellular Organization with Spatial Proteomics

Products

nuclera logo

Nuclera eProtein Discovery System installed at leading Universities in Taiwan

Brandtech Logo

BRANDTECH Scientific Introduces the Transferpette® pro Micropipette: A New Twist on Comfort and Control

Biotium Logo

Biotium Launches GlycoLiner™ Cell Surface Glycoprotein Labeling Kits for Rapid and Selective Cell Surface Imaging

Colorful abstract spiral dot pattern on a black background

Thermo Scientific X and S Series General Purpose Centrifuges

Thermo Fisher Logo