The International Vaccine Institute (IVI) said it was recently issued two patents on shigellosis by the United States Patent and Trademark Office marking “a milestone in its aim to prevent and control dysentery (also commonly called shigellosis or bloody diarrhea), a deadly disease that affects several million people worldwide.” The two patents “will accelerate the Institute’s current efforts in developing an effective and low-cost vaccine for use among impoverished communities afflicted by dysentery.” IVI noted that the disease, caused by the bacterial pathogen Shigella, is a major health problem in developing countries, as young children are particularly vulnerable to the disease.  Dr. Cecil Czerkinsky, IVI’s Deputy Director-General of Laboratory Sciences, and Dr. Dong Wook Kim, Associate Professor at Hanyang University and former IVI scientist, reported the original discovery of the Shigella common protein antigens in a provisional patent application filed in October 2008. Dr. Czerkinsky commented, “We are extremely excited about the issuance of the Shigella vaccine patents. It further reinforces our belief that these common proteins, through their immunological properties, may be highly effective in preventing shigellosis, a diarrheal disease that claims countless lives of children every year, mainly in developing countries.” Dr. Christian Loucq, IVIs Director-General, commented, “This patent issuance is an important milestone on IVI’s path of delivering a new vaccine against another killer infectious disease. Furthermore, it underlies the dynamism and productivity of IVI scientists.”

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