Overview

Despite significant progress in the development and distribution of vaccines, much remains to be accomplished. Infectious diseases remain the second leading cause of death and the leading cause of disability-adjusted life years worldwide (one disability-adjusted life year is one lost year of healthy life). Among children aged 0 to 4 years, infectious diseases cause approximately two thirds of all deaths worldwide. In 2001, approximately six million deaths were attributed to three diseases, for which no effective vaccines are available: AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria. Effective vaccines also are lacking for many other serious infectious diseases that exact an enormous toll worldwide such as sexually transmitted diseases, parasitic diseases, respiratory pathogens, and gastroenteric-diarrheal diseases. In addition to endemic diseases, the world must cope with the ongoing threat of new and re-emerging diseases and the widespread development of antimicrobial resistance.

More than 50 newly recognized infectious diseases and syndromes have been identified since 1980, including AIDS and its etiologic agent, the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). HIV has now infected well over 60 million people worldwide, of whom more than a third of have died. Certain other emerging infections, such as SARS, Ebola virus, and Nipah virus, are highly virulent but have so far involved relatively small numbers of people. Many of the “vaccine resistant” pathogens associated with these diseases exhibit the immunologic problem of Deceptive Imprinting. Hence, BMI is applying its Immune Dampening and Refocusing Technology to a select mix of human and veterinary diseases that have cross platforms, which offers enhanced synergy for the inputted research and development effort.

Human Applications

Veterinary Applications