Dr. Michael Gale Jr.

SEATTLE— Kineta Inc. has announced that it has been awarded a $6.8 million subcontract from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to develop novel vaccine adjuvants (agents that help boost the immune system).

The Kineta subcontract is part of a larger $13 million award to the University of Washington. Dr. Michael Gale Jr., who is a UW associate professor of immunology, will serve as program director and principal investigator to direct the studies on the contract.

The overarching goal of the five-year contract is to develop vaccine adjuvants that tap into and use the power of the innate immune system to fight disease.

“More effective and potent vaccines are in critical need here in the United States and around the world, particularly to address key viral infections, including infections from the influenza viruses and human immunodeficiency virus,” Gale said. “In addition, there is an important need to develop novel adjuvants to support the development of an effective vaccine against hepatitis C virus.”

Gale’s laboratory has been instrumental in defining the virus and host processes by which RNA viruses, including hepatitis C virus, West Nile virus, influenza virus, and now HIV, trigger and control innate immune defenses during infection.

Kineta is a discovery-stage biotechnology company focused on the development of new types of antiviral and autoimmune drugs. The Kineta team has a track record of developing novel drug classes to treat a variety of viral diseases. Kineta Inc. is a Seattle-based privately held biotechnology company specializing in clinical advancement of drugs that modulate and enhance the human immune system.