周一午盤,，Vical Inc.(VICL)的股價(jià)大幅攀升，稍早時(shí)該公司宣布,，已就基於基因科學(xué)的一項(xiàng)醫(yī)療技術(shù)達(dá)成兩項(xiàng)協(xié)議,。
截至美東夏令時(shí)下午3:03，Vical的股票上漲65美分,，至4.87美元,，漲幅為15.4%，此前該股一度大漲18%,。
第一項(xiàng)交易為：總部位於加州圣地牙哥的Vical已允許默克制藥(MRK)更新其選擇權(quán)：將Vical的基因給藥技術(shù)用於腫瘤藥物的開發(fā),。
此外，默克還擁有一項(xiàng)選擇權(quán)：獲得將Vical電穿孔增強(qiáng)給藥技術(shù)用於HIV疫苗開發(fā)的獨(dú)家授權(quán),。Vical表示,，自己仍可使用其基因技術(shù)來(lái)開發(fā)類似的疫苗，兩家公司可以同時(shí)致力於同一領(lǐng)域的研究,。
Vical還宣布,，將與全美健康研究會(huì)(NIH)進(jìn)行合作，進(jìn)一步探尋將電穿孔增強(qiáng)給藥技術(shù)用於開發(fā)基於基因的HIV疫苗的途徑,。Vical指出,，這種技術(shù)的授權(quán)來(lái)自Inovio Biomedical Corp.。
Vical的執(zhí)行長(zhǎng)維喬伊-薩曼特(Vijay Samant)在一份聲明中寫道,，與默克的交易“使我們可在與NIH達(dá)成的協(xié)議之下對(duì)這種新醫(yī)療方法進(jìn)行進(jìn)一步的評(píng)估,。”
薩曼特還稱，“讓我們感到興奮的是,，這種新方法的潛力可增加DNA疫苗針對(duì)傳染疾病的有效性,，同時(shí)不會(huì)導(dǎo)致安全性的降低。”
默克的股價(jià)下跌27美分,，至29.04美元,。
Vical Grants Options to Merck for Cancer Vaccines
SAN DIEGO, Sept. 12 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Vical Incorporated (Nasdaq: VICL) agreed to grant Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE: MRK) renewable options for rights to use Vical's patented non-viral gene delivery technology for additional cancer targets. In exchange, Vical has obtained non-exclusive, sublicenseable rights to use the technology for vaccines against HIV, giving both companies freedom to operate in the field. Merck also has a fixed-term option to exclusively sublicense from Vical electroporation-enhanced delivery technology for use with HIV vaccines, on terms to be negotiated.
"These options allow Merck to further expand their cancer program using our technology," said Vijay B. Samant, Vical's President and Chief Executive Officer. "Merck's exercise of the option for the additional targets would result in an option exercise payment to Vical, and further development may lead to milestone and royalty payments, along with an opportunity for co-promotion. Earlier this summer, Merck exercised three cancer vaccine options triggering a payment of $3.0 million."
About Vical
Vical researches and develops biopharmaceutical products based on its patented DNA delivery technologies for the prevention and treatment of serious or life-threatening diseases. Potential applications of the company's DNA delivery technology include DNA vaccines for infectious diseases or cancer, in which the expressed protein is an immunogen; cancer immunotherapeutics, in which the expressed protein is an immune system stimulant; and cardiovascular therapies, in which the expressed protein is an angiogenic growth factor. The company has retained all rights to its internally developed product candidates. In addition, the company collaborates with major pharmaceutical companies and biotechnology companies that give it access to complementary technologies or greater resources. These strategic partnerships provide the company with mutually beneficial opportunities to expand its product pipeline and serve significant unmet medical needs. Additional information on Vical is available at http://www.vical.com
Vical and NIH to Evaluate Enhanced-Delivery HIV Vaccine
SAN DIEGO, Sept 12, 2005 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX News Network/ -- Vical Incorporated (Nasdaq: VICL) today announced plans to develop and evaluate electroporation-enhanced delivery of therapeutic and preventive DNA vaccines against HIV under a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the Vaccine Research Center (VRC), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Vical has the option to secure exclusive commercialization rights to technology developed under the CRADA. The electroporation technology is licensed from Inovio Biomedical Corporation.
"We are eager to pursue the application of electroporation in a DNA vaccine setting, complementing our ongoing program with electroporation in gene-based cancer immunotherapy," said Vijay B. Samant, Vical's President and Chief Executive Officer. "Our recent agreement with Merck & Co., Inc., for HIV vaccines, announced earlier today, allows us to proceed with the evaluation of this novel approach under our CRADA with the NIH. We are excited by the potential of this approach to increase the effectiveness of DNA vaccines against infectious diseases without compromising safety. The ability of the HIV pathogen to evade immune system defenses and the expanding global impact of AIDS disease warrant the simultaneous evaluation of multiple vaccine approaches."
