Seattle BioMed has received a $9.8 million grant from National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to fund the initial phases of a vaccine that could neutralize antibodies against HIV-1. The Seattle non-profit will lead a consortium on the effort that also includes the Rockefeller University, the University of Washington, Seattle Children’s Hospital and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.
“This grant brings together experts in vaccine-design, immunology and clinical evaluation of HIV/AIDS vaccines,” said Alan Aderem, Ph.D., President, Seattle BioMed. “This multi-disciplinary collaboration will accelerate the delivery of a novel and effective vaccine to patients.”
The grant spans seven years, and will fund initial research into vaccine options. The second phase will include production of the vaccines. The effort will be led by Seattle BioMed’s Leonidas Stamatatos, a professor and scientific director at Seattle BioMed.
“While access to anti-retroviral therapies has increased, the best route of defeating the epidemic remains a universally effective HIV-1 vaccine,” said Dr. Stamatatos said.
