GreyRigge Associates (GRA) client, Themis Bioscience, has begun testing of their vaccine against Chikungunya in a phase II clinical study in Puerto Rico, a region where Chikungunya fever is endemic through the Tiger mosquito borne infection. GRA, who has been working with the Austrian biotech company since 2012, has helped Themis Bioscience progress the live attenuated vaccine to be one of the most advanced Chikungunya candidates in the world.
The vaccine so far has shown excellent immunogenicity and safety with high seroconversion rates in its phase I clinical trial. The vaccine candidate is currently being tested in two parallel phase II studies in the USA and Austria. The Puerto Rico trial intends to assess the influence of pre-immune sera of individuals previously infected with the disease on the safety and immunogenicity of the vaccine. GRA has helped in the development of many aspects of the vaccine including CMC, characterization, formulation and regulatory. Furthermore, GreyRigge Associates has helped the organisation obtain non-dilutive funding from the UK government. Read the full story in Biospace.