Accelerating Alphavirus Countermeasures

Alphaviruses, primarily transmitted by mosquitoes, pose significant public health challenges due to their ability to cause severe morbidity, including encephalitis. The disease is typically self-limiting, but the symptoms, possible severe complications, and potential for widespread outbreaks make them a concern. There are also national security concerns due to their potential use as biological weapons.

The current lack of licensed countermeasures for alphaviruses is a challenge, necessitating the development of effective vaccines and therapeutics.

Leveraging our extensive expertise in medical countermeasure testing and evaluation, Battelle supported the development of candidate vaccines and therapeutics. We utilized our enhanced BSL-3 facilities, which are the largest privately owned labs at this containment level in the United States, to safely handle and study dangerous pathogens.

This work includes:

• Developing models and methods to evaluate the effectiveness of vaccines and therapeutics, ensuring safety and effectiveness before moving to trial.
• Assessing medical countermeasures for their efficacy in generating immune responses or interrupting viral infection.
• Serving as an intermediary accelerator between the government and product sponsors to facilitate the progression of candidate vaccines and therapeutics toward clinical trials.

Battelle has helped several promising candidates in early research and clinical trials. These include a vaccine now in Phase 2 trials and several treatments in later stages of pre-clinical research.

These advancements enhance public health preparedness and bolster national security by providing effective countermeasures.