周一午盘，Vical Inc.(VICL)的股价大幅攀升，稍早时该公司宣布，已就基於基因科学的一项医疗技术达成两项协议。
截至美东夏令时下午3:03，Vical的股票上涨65美分，至4.87美元，涨幅为15.4%，此前该股一度大涨18%。
第一项交易为：总部位於加州圣地牙哥的Vical已允许默克制药(MRK)更新其选择权：将Vical的基因给药技术用於
肿瘤药物的开发。
此外，默克还拥有一项选择权：获得将Vical电穿孔增强给药技术用於HIV疫苗开发的独家授权。Vical表示，自己仍可使用其基因技术来开发类似的疫苗，两家公司可以同时致力於同一领域的研究。
Vical还宣布，将与全美健康研究会(NIH)进行合作，进一步探寻将电穿孔增强给药技术用於开发基於基因的HIV疫苗的途径。Vical指出，这种技术的授权来自Inovio Biomedical Corp.。
Vical的执行长维乔伊-萨曼特(Vijay Samant)在一份声明中写道，与默克的交易“使我们可在与NIH达成的协议之下对这种新医疗方法进行进一步的评估。”
萨曼特还称，“让我们感到兴奋的是，这种新方法的潜力可增加DNA疫苗针对传染疾病的有效性，同时不会导致安全性的降低。”
默克的股价下跌27美分，至29.04美元。
Vical Grants Options to Merck for Cancer Vaccines
SAN DIEGO, Sept. 12 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Vical Incorporated (Nasdaq: VICL) agreed to grant Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE: MRK) renewable options for rights to use Vical's patented non-viral gene delivery technology for additional cancer targets. In exchange, Vical has obtained non-exclusive, sublicenseable rights to use the technology for vaccines against HIV, giving both companies freedom to operate in the field. Merck also has a fixed-term option to exclusively sublicense from Vical electroporation-enhanced delivery technology for use with HIV vaccines, on terms to be negotiated.
"These options allow Merck to further expand their cancer program using our technology," said Vijay B. Samant, Vical's President and Chief Executive Officer. "Merck's exercise of the option for the additional targets would result in an option exercise payment to Vical, and further development may lead to milestone and royalty payments, along with an opportunity for co-promotion. Earlier this summer, Merck exercised three cancer vaccine options triggering a payment of $3.0 million."
About Vical
Vical researches and develops biopharmaceutical products based on its patented DNA delivery technologies for the prevention and treatment of serious or life-threatening diseases. Potential applications of the company's DNA delivery technology include DNA vaccines for infectious diseases or cancer, in which the expressed protein is an immunogen; cancer immunotherapeutics, in which the expressed protein is an immune system stimulant; and cardiovascular therapies, in which the expressed protein is an angiogenic growth factor. The company has retained all rights to its internally developed product candidates. In addition, the company collaborates with major pharmaceutical companies and biotechnology companies that give it access to complementary technologies or greater resources. These strategic partnerships provide the company with mutually beneficial opportunities to expand its product pipeline and serve significant unmet medical needs. Additional information on Vical is available at
http://www.vical.com
Vical and NIH to Evaluate Enhanced-Delivery HIV Vaccine
SAN DIEGO, Sept 12, 2005 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX News Network/ -- Vical Incorporated (Nasdaq: VICL) today announced plans to develop and evaluate electroporation-enhanced delivery of therapeutic and preventive DNA vaccines against HIV under a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the Vaccine Research Center (VRC), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Vical has the option to secure exclusive commercialization rights to technology developed under the CRADA. The electroporation technology is licensed from Inovio Biomedical Corporation.
"We are eager to pursue the application of electroporation in a DNA vaccine setting, complementing our ongoing program with electroporation in gene-based cancer immunotherapy," said Vijay B. Samant, Vical's President and Chief Executive Officer. "Our recent agreement with Merck & Co., Inc., for HIV vaccines, announced earlier today, allows us to proceed with the evaluation of this novel approach under our CRADA with the NIH. We are excited by the potential of this approach to increase the effectiveness of DNA vaccines against infectious diseases without compromising safety. The ability of the HIV pathogen to evade immune system defenses and the expanding global impact of AIDS disease warrant the simultaneous evaluation of multiple vaccine approaches."
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