EL SEGUNDO, Calif., Oct. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Computer Sciences Corporation today announced that DVC, a CSC company, has entered into a phase 1 clinical trial for its recombinant botulinum neurotoxin vaccine candidate.
The trial will evaluate the safety, tolerability and immunogenicity of the vaccine candidate in healthy volunteers between the ages of 18 and 40. Testing is underway and will continue into 2005 at the University of Kentucky Chandler Medical Center in Lexington, Ky. Contract research services for the single center open-label study will be provided by the Covalent Group Inc. , headquartered in Wayne, Pa.
“A vaccine that protects against botulinum neurotoxin is essential to our nation’s biodefense program,” said DVC President Terry Irgens. “Our vaccine candidate is intended to provide a means of protecting the armed forces and civilian populations in the future.”
Botulinum neurotoxin, the causative agent of botulism, is produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum and other closely related clostridial species, which together produce seven serotypes of the neurotoxin.
The individual components of the vaccine that provide the protective immune response against the neurotoxins were originally identified and developed by scientists working at the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID). Their work involved the identification of suitable protein antigens and the early development of the processes used to manufacture components of the vaccine.
Further development and manufacture of the vaccine candidate has been achieved by DVC, working as the prime systems contractor for the Department of Defense Joint Vaccine Acquisition Program.
DVC is a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the development and licensure of safe and efficacious biodefense vaccines and therapeutics. DVC is part of CSC’s Enforcement, Security and Intelligence organization, which CSC created in 2002 to support programs enhancing U.S. security.
USAMRIID, located at Fort Detrick, Md., is the lead medical research laboratory for the U.S. Biological Defense Research Program, and plays a key role in national defense and in infectious disease research. The Institute’s mission is to conduct basic and applied research on biological threats resulting in medical solutions (such as vaccines, drugs and diagnostics) to protect the warfighter. USAMRIID is a subordinate laboratory of the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command.
The safety and efficacy of this product in humans has not been established. This product is currently under clinical investigation and has not been licensed by the FDA.
About CSC
Founded in 1959, Computer Sciences Corporation is a leading global information technology (IT) services company. CSC’s mission is to provide customers in industry and government with solutions crafted to meet their specific challenges and enable them to profit from the advanced use of technology.
With approximately 90,000 employees, CSC provides innovative solutions for customers around the world by applying leading technologies and CSC’s own advanced capabilities. These include systems design and integration; IT and business process outsourcing; applications software development; Web and application hosting; and management consulting. Headquartered in El Segundo, Calif., CSC reported revenue of $14.9 billion for the 12 months ended July 2, 2004. For more information, visit the company’s Web site at http://www.csc.com/.
Computer Sciences Corporation
CONTACT: Chuck Taylor, Director, Communications, Federal Sector,+1-703-641-3430, ctaylor26@csc.com, or Mike Dickerson, Director, MediaRelations, Corporate, +1-310-615-1647, mdickers@csc.com, both of ComputerSciences Corporation
Web site: http://www.csc.com/
