- Fortress Biotech ( NASDAQ: FBIO ) said that its cytomegalovirus (CMV) vaccine Triplex received a grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) which could provide over $20M in non-dilutive funding.
- The award by NIAID, part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) will fund a phase 2 trial of Triplex — being developed by Fortress' unit Helocyte — for control of CMV in patients undergoing liver transplantation.
- CMV is a common virus which is asymptomatic in healthy individuals, but can cause infection in pregnant women who then can pass the virus to their babies. CMV can be severe and life-threatening for those with weakened immune systems and those undergoing cell and solid organ transplant.
- Helocyte secured an exclusive worldwide license to Triplex in 2015 from City of Hope, the developer of the vaccine.
- Helocyte's other CMV vaccine ConVax is aimed to prevent transmission of CMV, particularly from mother to fetus, Fortress noted.
For further details see:
Fortress to get NIH funding for trial of Triplex vaccine to prevent CMV in liver transplant patients