Phase 1 Trial for Virus Vaccine Completed

Hawaii Biotech has completed the dosing of healthy subjects with its West Nile Virus vaccine, in a multiple dose safety study.

Elliot Parks, President and CEO, indicated that preliminary safety results and immunologic data from the 24 subjects treated with three doses of the vaccine will be available early in 2009.

Complete results are expected to be announced by third quarter 2009.

The company claims that the vaccine is non-replicating and is designed to be safer than live-attenuated vaccines. The most serious manifestation of the virus infection is fatal encephalitis. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cases of West Nile Virus infections in humans have been reported in all states except Hawaii, Alaska and Maine.

Hawaii Biotech anticipates initiating additional studies to determine immunogenicity and continued safety of the vaccine in mid-2009.