Inovio Pharmaceuticals Receives $6.1 Million Sub-Grant Through Wistar Institute for Monoclonal Antibodies Against Zika Virus

Inovio Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:INO) today announces that the Wistar Institute has awarded it some $6 million in grant money. The funding is to forward development of DNA-based monoclonal antibody for the treatment of Zika virus.
According to the press release:

“This new DNA-based monoclonal antibody technology has properties that best fit a response to address a Zika outbreak in that dMAb products can be designed and manufactured expediently on a large scale using common fermentation technology, are thermal-stable, and may be used as a therapy to provide more rapid protection from or limit the spread of Zika infection.”

Inovio’s CEO, Dr. J. Joseph Kim, said the following:

“As the leader in DNA-based immunotherapy and vaccine products, with our lead program poised to enter phase III study in the near term, we are also excited to expand our powerful technology platform to develop these new dMAb products. We thank the Gates Foundation for their confidence in the Inovio/Wistar team to develop this new type of medicine to address an emerging infectious disease like Zika.”

Read the full press release here.