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West Nile Virus Vaccine Development

Researchers at the VRC have developed investigational vaccines for preventing West Nile virus (WNV) infection in collaboration with the San Diego-based biotechnology company Vical, Inc. The vaccines are based on an existing codon-modified gene-based DNA plasmid vaccine platform designed to express WNV proteins.

In April 2005, following pre-clinical safety studies and viral challenge studies, the VRC initiated a Phase I clinical trial to evaluate safety, tolerability, and immune responses of a recombinant DNA vaccine in human volunteers. This trial represented the first DNA vaccine to induce neutralizing antibody in a clinical trial. Findings from the study were published in December 2007.

Also in collaboration with Vical, Inc., the VRC developed a second generation DNA vaccine using an improved expression vector expressing the same WNV proteins. A Phase I clinical trial of this vaccine began in March 2006 and has completed enrollment.

NIH press release - April 18, 2005
NIAID Begins Clinical Trial of West Nile Virus Vaccine. A human clinical trial to test an experimental vaccine targeting West Nile Virus (WNV) opened today.