Corixa, Genesis and Medicis are developing PVAC, an immunomodulator derived from killed Mycobacterium vaccae and licensed from SR Pharma [309860], [312958], for the potential treatment of psoriasis [365490]. In February 2001, phase II trials were ongoing in the US, the Philippines and Brazil for the treatment of moderate-to-severe psoriasis [399066], [405985]. In January 2001, an NDA filing was expected to take place in 2003 [396733]. In January 2002, Medicis and Corixa planned to initiate another phase IIb trial [436398], and by June 2002, two studies in patients with mild-to-moderate plaque psoriasis had began in the US and New Zealand, with the former designed to investigate the use of PVAC in combination with ultraviolet B (UVB) light [453772], [456657], [456836].