Vical, Merck Research Laboratories preclinical data

Merck scientists published animal data with DNA vaccines, showing better efficacy in protecting ferrets from viral challenge than conventional commercial flu vaccines.

As reported in Nature Medicine, the DNA vaccines elicited antibodies in non-human primates and in ferrets. A DNA vaccine that encoded both surface and internal viral proteins reduced viral shedding in ferrets significantly (p= 0.0008) compared to immunization with the vaccine licensed in 1992-1993. The DNA vaccine protected the animals to the same degree as a second vaccine that had been crafted to control the mutated flu strain that escaped the 1992-1993 vaccine. ...