$300,000 CIHR grant awarded to Medicago, the Research Institute of the MUHC and McGill University
The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) have awarded a
$300,000 grant for research focusing on the nature of the immune
response induced by the action mechanisms of plant-made Virus-Like
Particles (VLP) to Dr. Louis Vezina, Chief Scientific Officer of
Medicago and to Dr. Brian Ward and Dr. Ciriaco Piccirillo of the
Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI MUHC)
and McGill University.
"Receiving this government grant further acknowledges the
scientific merit of our joint research efforts with McGill in the
development of leading plant-based VLP vaccines," said Andy
Sheldon, President and Chief Executive Officer of Medicago. “A
deeper understanding of all potential benefits of the immune
response generated by our VLPs will allow us to further
differentiate and better position our product on the market. We
believe our VLP vaccines will be the preferred option to increase
the speed of a public health response in the event of a pandemic
outbreak as our VLP plant-based manufacturing process is very
efficient with a relatively low capital cost."
"VLPs are among the most promising technologies to produce the next
generation of vaccines. The technical simplicity and low cost of
VLP production in plants add great value to this delivery system as
it is the first platform technology with a realistic potential to
address the needs of the developing world for low cost vaccines,”
said Brian Ward, Associate Director of the Research Institute at
the MUHC (Fundamental Science). ” I am delighted that we have
secured this grant from CIHR as a sophisticated understanding of
how these vaccines interact with the immune system is of
considerable importance.”
Medicago recently reported positive interim results from a Phase I
human clinical trial with its H5N1 Avian Influenza vaccine
candidate ("H5N1 vaccine"). The vaccine was found to be safe, well
tolerated and also induced a solid immune response. Full results of
the Phase I trial will be submitted for publication in a scientific
journal and will be available in the coming months.
The CIHR is Canada's major federal funding agency for health
research. Its objective is to excel, according to internationally
accepted standards of scientific excellence, in the creation of new
knowledge and its translation into improved health for Canadians,
more effective health services and products and a strengthened
Canadian healthcare system. CIHR University-Industry Programs are
designed to help academic researchers interact with Canadian
companies with an interest in health research and development. The
program promotes a wide variety of peer reviewed research projects
jointly funded by Canadian companies and CIHR.
Dr. Brian Ward, is Associate Director of the Research Institute at
the MUHC (Fundamental Science), Co-Director of the MUHC Vaccine
Evaluation Centre and also a Professor in the Faculty of Medicine
at McGill University. Dr. Ciriaco Piccirillo is Canada Research
Chair, Principal Investigator of the Laboratory of
Immuno-regulation, Director of the FOCIS Center of Excellence,
Director of the Immune Phenotyping Platform at the RI MUHC and
Associate Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at McGill
University
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