Codagenix Awarded $2.2 Million Grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
August 24, 2020
Dr. J. Robert Coleman
Codagenix, Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing prophylactic vaccines and oncolytic virus therapies, has been awarded a $2.2 million grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health.
The funds will be used for the continued development of a human codon deoptimized live-attenuated vaccine against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) for the elderly.
“We are thrilled to continue our fruitful partnership with NIH/NIAID on the development of an RSV vaccine,” says Codagenix CEO, Dr. J. Robert Coleman, also associate professor of Biology. “The very young and very old are at significant risk of hospitalization and complications from RSV infection. NIAID’s support will allow Codagenix to take a large step toward bringing our RSV vaccine to the marketplace.”
Codagenix is developing the live-attenuated vaccine against RSV for use in infants and the elderly. The vaccine was generated using Codagenix’s proprietary algorithm that uses codon deoptimization to weaken (attenuate) viruses. The goal is to stimulate a robust immune response mimicking that elicited by the wild-type virus, without causing clinical illness or further transmission.
The vaccine is slated to enter Phase I clinical trials later in 2020, focused on healthy elderly volunteers. Subsequent studies will address the safety and efficacy of the vaccine in children.
Codagenix is also in the fight against the coronavirus. It recently announced the successful synthesis of a readily-scalable live-attenuated vaccine candidate against COVID-19. The vaccine, CDX-005, is currently undergoing safety and efficacy studies in animals and appears markedly attenuated compared to wild-type SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
Codagenix is located at Broad Hollow Bioscience Park, on the FSC campus.
