Breakthrough Alzheimer's Vaccine Duvax Secures $3 Million NIH Grant to Launch U.S. Clinical Trials

IRVINE, Calif., May 5, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Nuravax Inc., a biotechnology company pioneering immunotherapy for neurodegenerative disorders, has been awarded a $3 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to support Duvax, the first dual-target Alzheimer's vaccine, in its entry into human clinical trials.

Nuravax, in partnership with the non-profit Institute for Molecular Medicine (IMM), secured the award on its very first NIH grant submission, earning top-tier scores. This rare distinction highlights the scientific strength and strategic importance of the Duvax vaccine.

The grant, awarded through NIH's highly competitive SBIR Fast-Track program, will fund a critical milestone in the clinical validation of Duvax. An initial portion of the $3 million grant has been allocated to initiate the Phase 1 clinical trial evaluating the safety and immunogenicity of Duvax as a secondary prevention therapy, with the remaining funds expected later in 2025.

"This SBIR grant is a powerful endorsement of our mission to clinically validate and advance Duvax as a first-in-class vaccine for Alzheimer's prevention," said Roman Kniazev, CEO of Nuravax. "While IMM laid the scientific foundation, our focus at Nuravax is on translating that innovation into real-world impact. This funding enables us to move Duvax into clinical trials in the U.S. and brings us one step closer to delivering it as preventive therapy for individuals at risk – before symptoms begin."

Duvax is a first-in-class vaccine that targets both amyloid-beta and tau proteins, the two hallmark drivers of Alzheimer's disease, positioning it at the forefront of Alzheimer's research. Unlike conventional treatments, Duvax is designed for use during the preclinical stage, when the disease is silently progressing but before cognitive symptoms appear.

"The Phase 1 trial, supported by this SBIR grant awarded to our development and commercialization partner, Nuravax, marks a critical step in translating years of foundational research at IMM into a potential clinical breakthrough," said Dr. Michael Agadjanyan, VP of IMM and Head of Immunology. "Based on strong preclinical data, we at IMM expect Duvax to elicit a robust immune response against both Aβ and tau pathologies, an approach that could fundamentally shift the paradigm of Alzheimer's treatment from symptomatic and disease-modifying treatment (DMT) to secondary preventive therapy for cognitively unimpaired people at risk of disease."

The vaccine's use is guided by highly precise and specific blood tests that detect early pathological changes, enabling timely intervention. By clearing toxic forms of amyloid-beta and tau before irreversible damage occurs, Duvax aims to shift the treatment paradigm from symptom management to secondary preventive therapy.

About Nuravax

Nuravax is a clinical-stage biotech company developing and advancing immunotherapeutic vaccines for neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, TBI, and CTE. Focused on early intervention, Nuravax aims to alter disease progression before irreversible damage occurs. The company leads the clinical development, regulatory strategy, and manufacturing of Duvax, a dual-target vaccine licensed from the Institute for Molecular Medicine (IMM), a nonprofit dedicated to neurodegenerative disease research.

About IMM

The Institute for Molecular Medicine (IMM) is a non-profit research organization dedicated to understanding, preventing, and curing chronic human diseases, with a focus on neurodegeneration. IMM is advancing MultiTEP — a universal vaccine platform technology that enables the development of diverse vaccine formats, including DNA, RNA, and recombinant protein-based designs.

Disclaimer: Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Institute On Aging of the NIH under Award Number R44AG091903. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH.

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SOURCE Nuravax Inc