GenVec, Inc.,
a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company, develops gene-based therapeutic drugs and vaccines. The companys gene-based therapeutic product candidates use its proprietary adenovector technology platform to deliver genes that produce medically beneficial proteins directly at the site of disease. Its lead product candidate, TNFerade Biologic, is an adenovector, which contains the gene for tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), an immune system protein with anti-cancer effects. GenVec is developing TNFerade Biologic, which is in phase II/III pivotal trial for the treatment of advanced pancreatic cancer; in Phase I/II clinical trials for the treatment of head and neck cancer; and in Phase II clinical trials for the treatment of in rectal cancer and metastatic melanoma. It also develops AdPEDF, a dose-escalation Phase I clinical trial completed product for the treatment of wet age-related macular degeneration; and TherAtoh that restores hearing or balance function through the regeneration of critical cells of the inner ear. In addition, the companys vaccine programs utilize the adenovector technology platform and its proprietary 293-ORF6 cell line to develop vaccine candidates for infectious diseases, such as malaria, HIV, respiratory syncytial virus, HSV-2, and influenza, as well as vaccine and anti-viral product candidates for the prevention and containment of foot and mouth disease. It has collaboration agreements with the United States Department of Agriculture; the United States Naval Medical Research Center; PATH\'s Malaria Vaccine Initiative; the Vaccine Research Center of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the National Institutes of Health; and Fuso Pharmaceuticals Industries, Ltd. The company was founded in 1992 and is based in Gaithersburg, Maryland.