Avant says typhoid vaccine promising

Avant Immunotherapeutics Inc. said today that its typhoid fever vaccine candidate has demonstrated "excellent clinical potential."

Avant is a Needham-based developer of vaccines and therapeutics that harness the human immune system to prevent and treat disease.

The company said preliminary results from an investigational clinical trial for its typhoid fever vaccine candidate, Ty800, in healthy volunteers was "positive."

Based on those preliminary result, Avant said it "plans to further develop Ty800 to compete in the expanding typhoid fever vaccine market, which currently has over $200 million in annual sales."
(By Chris Reidy, Globe staff)