Epimmune Inc has received a grant from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institutes of Health (NIH) to support continued epitope analog identification and preclinical development of multi-epitope, analog based cancer vaccines. The grant has a total potential value of approximately $0.6 million over two years. The activities funded by this grant complement current studies and Phase I/II clinical trials the Company is conducting by providing analog epitopes that extend vaccine coverage to larger segments of the population. The grant was made under the NCI's Flexible System to Advance Innovative Research for Cancer Drug Discovery by Small Business or FLAIR program.

Analog or modified epitopes have been shown to be more effective at breaking immunologic tolerance than the native or wild-type epitopes, an important feature in the cancer setting. Epimmune is currently conducting two Phase I/II trials with its EP-2101 vaccine, one in colorectal cancer and one in non-small cell lung cancer, at various sites in the U.S. The EP-2101 vaccine contains both wild-type and analog epitopes. Safety and immunogenicity results from the current trials are expected in the first half of 2004.