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Mount Pleasant-based bio-pharmaceutical helping in war effort
By Sheila Watson
Contributing Writer
One of the enemies sought by the military is too small for guns and bombs; it is microscopic. The dengue virus is one of the most dangerous diseases because of its debilitating characteristics, and the military has long pursued a vaccine against all strains of it.
GenPhar, based in Mount Pleasant, is helping the military develop the dengue fever vaccine with funding from the Defense Appropriations Bill. The company will be working with the Navy Medical Research Center on the vaccine.
Since 2005, a total of $3.5 million, including current appropriations of
$1.5 million for fiscal year 2006, has been awarded to GenPhar to fund the development of a multivalent dengue vaccine.
The 2006 Defense Appropriations Bill passed the U.S. Senate with a vote of
93-0.
“Without the support of Sen. Jim DeMint and Sen. Lindsey Graham, GenPhar would not be able to continue its efforts in vaccine development,” said Ashley McKenzie, GenPhar’s administrative finance manager.
“Our advanced technology will prove to be safe and effective in preventing the spread of infectious diseases that could threaten our nation’s security. We hope to see a continued interest in our work not only within our local community, but (also within) the state of South Carolina and the nation as a whole.”
GenPhar has been in collaboration with NMRC since 2005 and plans to begin non-human primate testing this year. The need for effective vaccine treatments in cases of exposure to dangerous viral outbreaks is critical to the safety of both U.S. Armed Forces personnel deployed in combat areas and the U.S. civilian population.
GenPhar’s primary focus on vaccine development for infectious diseases has created close working relationships with various government agencies.
In addition to the company’s work with the Navy Medical Research Center, GenPhar is working with the United States Army Medical Research Institution of Infectious Diseases on Marburg and Ebola vaccines and with the National Health Institute on the HIV vaccine.
GenPhar has been collaborating with the institution to develop vaccines against Marburg and Ebola virus infections since 2001. Almost $10 million has been funded for this research project through the Department of Defense and U.S. government. During this time, GenPhar developed more than 30 Marburg and Ebola vaccines with different combinations of virus antigens.
Most of the vaccines have been tested at USAMRIID in small animals, as well as in non-human primates. Monkeys that were vaccinated with Marburg and Ebola vaccines demonstrated 100% protection from two strains of Marburg viruses and two species of the Ebola virus during lethal challenge experiments.
GenPhar is currently in the process of validating this vaccine and expects movement to the pre-clinical phase in the near future.
The biopharmaceutical company was founded in 1999 by Dr. John Dong, who serves as the company’s president and chief scientific officer. GenPhar is dedicated to the development and commercialization of diagnostics, vaccines and therapeutics for infectious diseases.
Dr. Dong is also a professor at the Medical University of South Carolina in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology. The company, formed through licensing technology from research at MUSC, is privately owned, with more than 100 investors.
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