Profectus Biosciences: Developing vaccines and therapies for the highly pathogenic Nipah and Hendra viruses

Bethesda, Maryland, March 25, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bethesda, MD, March 20, 2019 - The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc. (HJF), along with Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU), Profectus Biosciences, Inc., the Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Mapp Biopharmaceutical, Inc., and the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) have been awarded up to $24.5 million to advance treatments for two lethal henipaviruses. The award was made to Dr. Christopher Broder, professor and Chair of the Department of Microbiology at USU. The award is a collaborative Center of Excellence for Translational Research (CETR) grant supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).Dr. Christopher Broder, professor and Chair of the Department of Microbiology at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU). Photo credit: Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU). The grant funds will be distributed over five years to further the development of countermeasures used for the prevention and treatment of Nipah and Hendra infections in humans. Recently, Nipah was selected by the World Health Organization as an epidemic threat needing urgent research and development action. The deadly virus was included in the WHO R&D Blueprint list of priority pathogens with epidemic potential and are considered agents with the highest risk of being deliberately misused by bioterrorists to cause mass casualties and produce devastating effects to the economy, critical infrastructure and public confidence. "This collaboration of public and private partners is an important step towards developing a successful treatment or prevention to a virus the WHO has recognized as an epidemic threat needing urgent action," said HJF CEO Dr. Joseph Caravalho, Jr. "HJF is proud to partner with such laudable institutions and individuals to work towards a treatment for the threat posed by the Nipah and Hendra viruses." A major focus of the CETR will be on preclinical products that have shown ...Full story available on Benzinga.com