PsiOxus to develop biodefence vaccine

Vaccinations to be developed using adjuvants.

The US Defence Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) has granted PsiOxus Therapeutics a multi-million dollar contract to be used for research into biodefence vaccine adjuvants with the aim of enhancing their effectiveness.

It is said that the agreement will allow the research team to make use of PsiOxus's proprietary PolyMAP technology to develop the recombinant Protective Antigen for Anthrax and the Venezuelan Equine Encephalopathy virus vaccinations.

The technology is particularly sought after as it can be used to enhance vaccines with the use of synthetic adjuvants which increases their ability to protect against the specified diseases.

Dr John Beadle, chief executive of PsiOxus Therapeutics, said: "We are confident that our immunotherapeutic platform PolyMAP, along with our oncolytic vaccines expertise and team of renowned scientists, will play a significant and long-term role in the future of the industry."

The contract has been negotiated to support work by the corporation over a three-year period, using PsiOxus's state-of-the-art laboratory in Oxford.