Juvaris To Share $9 Million Grant For Flu Adjuvant Research

Written by OJ Fagbire

Wednesday, 01 August 2007

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Juvaris BioTherapeutics, located in Pleasanton, reported the award of a $9 million grant over a five-year period for the purpose of researching a way to

increase the effectiveness of the flu vaccine.

A portion of the grant will be divided between Juvaris, Stanford University and the National Primate Research Center that is located at the University of

California-Davis. The amount of the grant that will be split is yet unknown to the three facilities that will all work on the flu vaccine studies.

The studies will target the results of JuvaVax, a believed-to-be adjuvant that when added to the flu vaccine will boost its effectiveness.

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases gave the grant to the researchers. Last year the same Institute granted $1 million over two-years

for a bird-flu vaccine.

The interest in adjuvants by the federal agency is linked to the fear of a flu outbreak without enough vaccine to go around. By using adjuvants to boost the

effectiveness of the flu vaccine, less vaccine can be used to prevent the illness and the supply can be stretched to inoculate everyone.

Juvaris' CEO and co-founder, Martin Cleary said, "We believe that the JuvaVax adjuvant can decrease the amount of vaccine necessary to induce protective

immunity up to fifty fold." Additionally the adjuvant seems to be effective on different strains of influenza.

In total, Juvaris has received roughly $22 million in grants since it was created in 2003. The $9 million grant will come in handy now more than ever as

Juvaris competes with other companies, some larger than Juvaris, to develop the most effective flu vaccine and adjuvant.
Fairman, the other co-founder, says, "In getting a really major award like this, it says something about out technology."

The National Institute Of Allergy and Infectious Diseases awarded $196 million for flu vaccine research last year and expected to spend approximately $212

million during this fiscal year.

Within the last two years, the government has granted more than $1 billion to companies, sometimes over multiple years, for research on the flu vaccine. This

spending has been in part caused by a fear of a possible avian flu epidemic.

In 2006, Novartis and Medlmune, both operating in the Bay Area, were given roughly $400 million over a five-year period to produce bird-flu vaccines. This

year, the Novartis' offices received a $54.8 million contract to develop a adjuvant for the bird-flu vaccine.

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