IDRI Forms Vaccine Deal in Brazil

Luke Timmerman1/23/09

The Infectious Disease Research Institute, a Seattle-based global health research center, said it has licensed two key components of an experimental leishmaniasis vaccine to research partners at the Instituto Butantan in Sao Paolo, Brazil. Under the deal, IDRI will receive royalty payments on sales if its partners develop a marketable vaccine for leishmaniasis, which affects an estimated 500,000 people around the world each year, and kills about one-tenth of those infected.

Luke Timmerman is the National Biotech Editor of Xconomy, and the Editor of Xconomy Seattle. E-mail him at ltimmerman@xconomy.com or follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/ldtimmerman.