As of March 7, 2008, AVANT Immunotherapeutics Inc. was acquired by Celldex Therapeutics Inc. in a reverse merger transaction. AVANT Immunotherapeutics, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, engages in the discovery, development, and commercialization of vaccines that harness the human immune response system for the prevention and treatment of diseases. It develops various vaccines and immunotherapeutics addressing a range of applications, including bacterial and viral diseases, biodefense, food safety, and cardiovascular diseases. The company offers Rotarix for the treatment of rotavirus infection; Ty800 typhoid fever vaccine; and MeganVac 1 and MeganEgg vaccines for use in chickens for protection against multiple species and/or strains of Salmonella bacteria. AVANT Immunotherapeutics is also developing CholeraGarde for cholera; vaccines that address travelersÂ’ market, including vaccines against Enterotoxigenic E coli, Shigella, Salmonella paratyphi, and Campylobacter; oral Anthrax and Plague vaccines; TP10 for cardiac surgery; CETi for cholesterol management; and other food safety and animal health vaccines. The company has collaborative agreements with GlaxoSmithKline plc; Pfizer, Inc.; DVC LLC; Lohmann Animal Health International; and Select Vaccines Limited. AVANT Immunotherapeutics was founded in 1983 and is based in Needham, Massachusetts.
