EL SEGUNDO, Calif., July 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Computer Sciences Corporation today announced that DynPort Vaccine Company LLC (DVC), a CSC company, has entered into a phase 2 clinical trial for its recombinant plague vaccine candidate, rF1V.
The phase 2 trial will test different vaccine dosages and schedules in 400 healthy volunteers between the ages of 18 and 55. The clinical trial is underway and will continue into 2007 at eight locations across the United States.
“An effective, licensed plague vaccine is a crucial component of U.S. biodefense initiatives,” said Dr. Robert V. House, president and chief scientific officer of DVC. “Plague has been identified as a Category A bioterrorism agent by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The candidate’s entry into a phase 2 trial is a significant step toward DVC’s goal of a licensed plague vaccine.”
The plague vaccine candidate, which is designed to provide protection against the plague bacterium Yersinia pestis, was 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 development of the processes used to assess the performance of the vaccine. Further development and manufacture of the vaccine candidate has been achieved by DVC under the Department of Defense Joint Vaccine Acquisition Program (JVAP) prime systems contract.
JVAP’s mission is to develop, produce and stockpile Food and Drug Administration-licensed vaccine products to help protect the warfighter against biological warfare agents. JVAP consolidates the Department of Defense’s efforts for the advanced development, testing, FDA licensing, production and storage of biological defense vaccines.
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.
DVC is a technology integrator that provides solutions to protect humanity from emerging threats. DVC is part of CSC’s Enforcement, Security and Intelligence organization, which CSC created to support programs enhancing U.S. security. For more information, visit DVC’s Web site at www.csc.com/dvc. 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 79,000 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 $14.6 billion for the 12 months ended March 31, 2006. For more information, visit the company’s Web site at www.csc.com.
Computer Sciences Corporation
CONTACT: April Finnen, Senior Manager, Communications of DVC LLC,+1-301-607-5004, afinnen@csc.com; or Corporate, Mike Dickerson, Director,Media Relations, +1-310-615-1647, mdickers@csc.com, or Bill Lackey,Director, Investor Relations, +1-310-615-1700, blackey3@csc.com, both ofComputer Sciences Corporation
