AVANT Immunotherapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: AVAN) today announced that the Defense Appropriations Bill for Fiscal Year 2005 passed by Congress last week provides $2.8 million for the Defense Department’s continued development of an oral combination vaccine to protect against anthrax and plague, a project being carried out by AVANT. The dedicated funding supports continued development of this advanced technology vaccine begun by AVANT in January 2003. AVANT expects this financial support to help fund the clinical development phase of this combination vaccine as well as pilot vaccine production at AVANT’s Fall River facility. AVANT scientists are carrying out the vaccine development program at AVANT headquarters in Needham, Massachusetts and at AVANT’s research facility in Overland, Missouri.
