Microbiology & Vaccines Collaborations
INCELL’s collaborative business model and unique capabilities have led to participation in multiple projects, contracts and grants related to infectious disease, vaccines, and biodefense.
The intended acceleration of commercial vaccine and microbiology products development involve important planning, Quality by Design (QbD), development and logistics in all activities and steps.
Several current projects are targeted at new treatments for acute infections and new anti-bacterial compounds that are effective against drug-resistant and high consequence human pathogens such as MRSA, pneumonia and nosocomial infections. Other work is focused on new diagnostics tools and tests.
Funding has come primarily from NIH and DoD grants or contracts directly, or indirectly via subcontracts from other companies or academic entities. As examples, expertise relevant to translational research was provided by INCELL as a member of the NIH Western Regional Center of Excellence for biodefense products development, and the Product Development Working Group, tasked with new product development and testing of vaccines, components and biotechnology-derived products.
Current collaborative, non-confidential biodefense bacterial vaccines work is focused on Brucella and Coxiella. Brucella is the causative agent of brucellosis and Coxiella causes Q fever. The Brucella work is a collaboration with university Professors, Drs. Thomas Ficht and Allison Rice-Ficht at Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine and Health Science Center. Coxiella vaccine work is in collaboration with Dr. James Samuels, Professor at Texas A&M Health Science Center. INCELL is currently provided consulting on specialized platforms and approaches, as well as practical considerations for product design, packaging, marketing, intellectual property and requirements of product development and GMP manufacturing.