Vical gets grant for Phase II herpes vaccine test

SAN DIEGO The U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases department from the National Institutes of Health has awarded Vical a $2 million Phase II technology transfer grant, according to published reports.

The grant is to fund an ongoing development of Vical’s plasmid DNA vaccine against herpes simplex virus type 2, which causes genital herpes.

The goal of the study is to see if they can control or eliminate periodic herpes viral flare-ups and associated viral shedding and transmission to people who already have the virus.