Acambis' Thomas Monath contributes to 'The Flaviviruses'

08-Jan-2004

Cambridge, UK and Cambridge, MA - Acambis' Chief Scientific Officer, Dr Thomas Monath, has collaborated with Dr Thomas Chambers, Associate Professor of Molecular microbiology at St Louis University, to write a three-volume series entitled 'The Flaviviruses'. These books are an addition to the popular 'Advances in Virus Research' series, first published in 1953.

Published in three volumes - 'Structure, Replication and Evolution'; 'Pathogenesis and Immunity'; and 'Detection, Diagnosis and Vaccine Development' - 'The Flaviviruses' explores this important family of viruses, providing an exhaustive compendium on the subject.

Dr Monath is a recognised expert on flaviviruses. As Chief Scientific Officer of Acambis, based in Cambridge, MA, he has overseen projects to develop and clinically test vaccines against four flaviviruses: yellow fever, West Nile, Japanese encephalitis and dengue.

These viruses are significant causes of disease around the world. More than three billion people live in areas where Japanese encephalitis is endemic and it is estimated that there are around 50 million cases of dengue infection worldwide every year. Since the West Nile virus first emerged in the US in 1999, it has spread to 45 US states causing infection in over 13,000 and killing over 500. Acambis' investigational vaccines against these flaviviruses have been developed using its proprietary ChimeriVax technology, which was originally developed by Dr Chambers.

A Biologics License Application for ARILVAX(TM), Acambis' vaccine against yellow fever, was recently filed with the US Food and Drug Administration to seek a licence to sell the vaccine in the US. In November, Acambis became the first company to enter Phase l human clinical testing of its vaccine against West Nile, ChimeriVax-West Nile.

https://www.bionity.com/en/news/33380/acambis-thomas-monath-contributes-to-the-flaviviruses.html