Approval of ONCEPT(TM) Therapeutic Melanoma Vaccine for Dogs

We often hear of new cancer treatments for humans, but it looks like the research is ongoing for dogs as well.  Read this recent press release about a new vaccine for treat melanoma in dogs.

Vical Announces Licensee’s Approval of ONCEPT(TM) Therapeutic Melanoma Vaccine for Dogs

January 11, 2010: 06:30 AM ET

Courtesy of www.money.cnn.com/news/

SAN DIEGO, Jan. 11, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Vical Incorporated (Nasdaq:VICL) today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has granted the company’s licensee Merial Limited, the animal health subsidiary of sanofi-aventis, full licensure for its ONCEPT(TM) canine melanoma vaccine, a therapeutic DNA vaccine designed to aid in extending survival of dogs with oral melanoma. Merial plans to launch the product at the North American Veterinary Conference (Orlando, January 16 – 20).

“The approval of ONCEPT(TM) is a milestone in the cancer vaccine field and a significant advancement for our DNA delivery technology platform,” said Vijay B. Samant, Vical’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “Therapeutic vaccines — the holy grail of vaccinology — are delivered after disease onset to impede disease progress for the patient’s benefit.

ONCEPT(TM) is to our knowledge the only therapeutic vaccine approved, and we believe this achievement is a major step toward the initial approvals of therapeutic vaccines for humans. We also believe that regulatory acceptance of ONCEPT(TM) bodes well for similar product candidates such as our Allovectin-7(R) DNA-based immunotherapeutic for patients with metastatic melanoma.

Read the rest of the article at www.money.cnn.com.

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