AUSTRALIA FUNDS HEPATITIS B VACCINE DEVELOPMENT

Australia-based Vaxine has received a grant of approximately $1 million from the Australian government for the commercialization of its new hepatitis B vaccine. The funding, granted under the AusIndustry's Commercial Ready program, will be used to advance the vaccine to Phase II clinical trials, which will investigate the efficacy of the vaccine in 200 people. Australian officials have said that Vaxine's product is expected to be less toxic, less painful and more potent than currently available vaccines.

Vaxine said that early testing demonstrated the vaccine is safe. The initial trials involved healthy volunteers who were injected with the vaccine, using ADVAX adjuvant, a vaccine booster made from sugar derived from dahlia bulbs. Researchers suggested that the natural ingredients in the vaccine booster might be the reason why this adjuvant is well-tolerated by the body.

It is estimated that hepatitis B affects 2 billion people around the world, and that approximately 350 million people are carriers of the virus.