The National Institute on Drug Abuse has given Nabi Biopharmaceuticals a $10 million loan to help fund the company's first pivotal clinical trial of NicVAX, a smoking cessation vaccine. It's the largest grant the NIDA has ever handed out, and the third Nabi has received. The company was granted funding during NicVAX's preclinical development and and additional $4.1 million for Phase II testing. And the FDA has given the vaccine fast-track status.
"We are very pleased to be awarded this generous grant from NIDA which enables us to proceed with the first pivotal Phase III trial for NicVAX," said Dr. Raafat Fahim, Nabi Biopharmaceuticals' CEO. "...This grant will defray a significant portion of the expense of the first phase III study." Nabi will continue to pursue partnering discussions for the future development and commercialization of the vaccine.
- here's the Nabi release
- see the report