HQ Team
May 5, 2025: Nuravax Inc. and its partner, the Institute for Molecular Medicine, have received a $3 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to advance its Alzheimer’s vaccine to human trials.
US-based Nuravax, a biotechnology company, is developing Duvax, a therapeutic vaccine designed to prevent Alzheimer’s disease.
Duvax is targeting the accumulation of amyloid beta (Aβ) and tau proteins — two key contributors to Alzheimer’s pathology — before they can cause irreversible brain damage.
The vaccine works by generating therapeutic antibodies that clear these toxic proteins from the bloodstream, preventing their deposition in the brain, where they contribute to cognitive decline.
SBIR program
The grant, awarded through NIH’s highly competitive SBIR Fast-Track program, will fund a critical milestone in the clinical validation of Duvax, according to a statement.
The US government’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs provide direct funding and assistance for small businesses with innovative research and development projects.
Eligible businesses can receive more than $1 million in funding, with a streamlined application process and increased access to government agencies and their resources.
“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,” according to the statement.
“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.
‘Preventive therapy’
“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 US and brings us one step closer to delivering it as preventive therapy for individuals at risk, before symptoms begin.”
Duvax targets both amyloid-beta and tau proteins, the two hallmark drivers of Alzheimer’s disease. 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 commercialisation 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.
‘Timely intervention’
“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 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.
The Institute for Molecular Medicine (IMM) is a non-profit research organisation that is dedicated to the understanding, prevention, and curing of chronic human diseases, with a focus on neurodegeneration.
