Inovio, universities receive grant to develop hepatitis C vaccine

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Inovio, universities receive grant to develop hepatitis C vaccine

by Ted Purlain on April 19, 2010

PHILADELPHIA — Inovio Biomedical Corp. and its university research partners were

awarded a $2.8 million Pennsylvania state grant to develop a DNA vaccine to

treat hepatitis C, the Philadelphia Business Journal reported April 9.

The biopharmaceutical company is working with Drexel University, the University

of Pennsylvania and Cheyney University on the project.

The grant from the Commonwealth Universal Research Enhancement Program will fund

pre-clinical studies to test the safety and effect on the immune system of

Inovio's novel vaccines. They are designed to treat people who are chronically

infected with hepatitis C virus and have not responded to available therapies.

Pennsylvania’s CURE program, funded by the state’s tobacco settlement funds,

supports clinical, health services and biomedical research throughout the sate.

“HCV is a major global health problem, with over 170 million people infected

worldwide,” said Dr. J. ph Kim, president and CEO of Inovio.