Corixa Receives $2.3 Million Grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to Develop Tuberculosis Vaccine.Business Editors/Health & Medical Writers SEATTLE--(BW HealthWire)--Sept. 29, 2000 Corixa Corporation (Nasdaq:CRXA), a research and development-based biotechnology company, today announced it has been awarded a $2.3 million Challenge Grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID NIAID National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. ) to develop a new candidate vaccine for the treatment of tuberculosis. As a result, Corixa will conduct preclinical and clinical testing of a new candidate vaccine produced using M. tuberculosis M. tuberculosis, n the bacterium responsible for tuberculosis, generally a respiratory infection in man; nonrespiratory tuberculosis is considered an indicator disease for AIDS. See also tuberculosis. proteins, combined with formulations developed by SmithKline Beecham Biologicals containing components discovered and manufactured by Corixa. Corixa scientists will test these proteins in animals for their ability to stimulate an appropriate immune response immune response n. An integrated bodily response to an antigen, especially one mediated by lymphocytes and involving recognition of antigens by specific antibodies or previously sensitized lymphocytes. , and then combine several of these proteins into a candidate vaccine for further testing. "We are pleased to have been selected as a recipient of a Challenge Grant from NIAID," said Steven Reed, Ph.D., chief scientific officer and executive vice president at Corixa. "We have been working with SmithKline Beecham for the past several years to rigorously define protective antigens from Mycobacterium tuberculosis Mycobacterium tuberculosis n. Tubercic bacillus. Mycobacterium tuberculosis . We have constructed a number of recombinant fusion protein A fusion protein is a protein created through genetic engineering from two or more proteins/peptides. This is achieved by creating a fusion gene: removing the stop codon from the DNA sequence of the first protein, then appending the DNA sequence of the second protein in frame. vaccines that have demonstrated significant protection in animal models of tuberculosis infection. We are pleased that NIAID shares our enthusiasm for the potential use of such vaccines to prevent tuberculosis in patient populations throughout the world. We greatly appreciate the support this grant will provide in helping defray de·fray tr.v. de·frayed, de·fray·ing, de·frays To undertake the payment of (costs or expenses); pay. [French défrayer, from Old French desfrayer : des-, the costs of preparation of vaccines for clinical study." About Tuberculosis Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection causes more deaths than any other infectious disease Infectious disease A pathological condition spread among biological species. Infectious diseases, although varied in their effects, are always associated with viruses, bacteria, fungi, protozoa, multicellular parasites and aberrant proteins known as prions. in the world. According to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, an estimated 1.7 billion people are infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis, including approximately 15 million people in the United States. Any of these people may develop active tuberculosis during some stage of their lives. Each year, approximately 8 million people worldwide contract active tuberculosis, and an estimated 3 million die each year from the disease. Statistics from the Centers for Disease Control, or CDC See Control Data, century date change and Back Orifice. CDC - Control Data Corporation , show 21,337 active tuberculosis cases in 1996. In addition, the WHO estimates more than 50 million people worldwide may be infected with drug-resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. About Corixa Corixa is a research- and development-based biotechnology company committed to treating and preventing autoimmune diseases Autoimmune diseases A group of diseases, like rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus, in which immune cells turn on the body, attacking various tissues and organs. Mentioned in: Complement Deficiencies, Premature Menopause , cancer and infectious diseases by understanding and directing the immune system immune system Cells, cell products, organs, and structures of the body involved in the detection and destruction of foreign invaders, such as bacteria, viruses, and cancer cells. Immunity is based on the system's ability to launch a defense against such invaders. . Corixa is focused on immunotherapeutic products and has a broad technology platform enabling both fully integrated vaccine design and the use of its separate, proprietary vaccine components on a standalone basis. The company partners with numerous developers and marketers of pharmaceuticals and diagnostics, targeting products that are Powered by Corixa(TM) technology with the goal of making its potential products available to patients around the world. Corixa was founded in 1994 and is headquartered in Seattle, Wash., with additional operations in Hamilton, Mont. and Redwood City, Calif. For more information, please visit Corixa's website at www.corixa.com or call the company's investor relations Investor relations The process by which the corporation communicates with its investors. information line at 877/4CORIXA or 877/426-7492. Forward-Looking Statements Except for the historical information presented, certain matters discussed in this press release are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management at the time the statements are made. They are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such statements. Factors that could affect Corixa's actual results include, but are not limited to failure of the candidate vaccine to perform in preclinical or clinical testing and the "Factors Affecting Our Operating Results, Our Business and Our Stock Price," described in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q Form 10-Q See 10-Q. filed on August 14, 2000, copies of which are available from our investor relations department. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this release. |
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