Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) awarded the University of Georgia Research Foundation, Inc. a Project Grant totaling $759,935 (awarded July 9, 2026, with completion targeted for June 30, 2031) under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855). The award supports the development and evaluation of NXT-2, a recombinant consensus peptide vaccine designed to provide pan-fungal protection against multiple fungal pathogens. The primary deliverable involves preclinical research and testing of the NXT-2 vaccine candidate for recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis (RVVC), leveraging a novel non-human primate model of RVVC developed by the research team. Previous immunization studies demonstrated that NXT-2 induces protective immunity against experimental Pneumocystis, pulmonary Aspergillus, and invasive Candida infections, establishing the scientific foundation for this clinical-range investigation.

This research directly addresses a significant public health need, as approximately 5–8% of women globally suffer from RVVC (defined as more than three episodes annually), resulting in an estimated 140 million cases of RVVC annually worldwide. The project contributes to the broader objective of developing the first approved fungal vaccine to overcome limitations in current anti-fungal therapies, emerging drug resistance, and the absence of preventive immunization options for at-risk populations susceptible to multiple fungal pathogens.