Integral Molecular, a leader in developing advanced technologies for the discovery of vaccines and therapeutics, is excited to announce a five-year, $8 million contract from the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). This funding will support the company’s ongoing research into emerging viruses identified as pandemic threats—the fourth such contract awarded to the company in 15 years. Prior contracts enabled responses to recent virus outbreaks, including SARS-CoV-2, Zika, Ebola, dengue, and chikungunya.
Integral Molecular will use its high-throughput mapping platform to identify antibody binding sites (“epitopes”) on viruses, characterizing immune responses to viral threats—information that helps scientists design effective vaccines. The company’s innovative Reporter Virus Particles (RVPs) will also play a key role in this research. These non-replicative virus particles enable safe and high-throughput neutralization studies of highly pathogenic viruses using only standard laboratory facilities. RVPs are enabling researchers worldwide to rapidly develop vaccines and therapeutics against viruses such as SARS-CoV-2, Ebola, dengue, and influenza, and are featured in over 200 peer-reviewed papers.
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The NIAID contract allows Integral Molecular to expand its research on potential pandemic threats to include Rift Valley Fever, Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever, and Enterovirus D68 viruses. Through previous contracts, researchers at Integral Molecular identified over 900 epitopes that characterize the human immune response to these viruses, and many are described in leading peer-reviewed journals including Cell, Science, and Nature.
“We are grateful to NIAID for their continued support and trust in our capabilities,” said Benjamin Doranz, CEO of Integral Molecular. “Viral threats can emerge quickly and with little warning. This contract enables us to contribute to pandemic preparedness by focusing on understudied viruses identified as potential threats, using our technologies to make virology research more accessible to laboratories around the world.”
SOURCE: PRNewswire