**Exhibit 31.1**

 

CERTIFICATION

 

I, Anthony S. Marucci, certify that:

 
| 1.     | I have reviewed this report on Form 10-Q of AVANT  Immunotherapeutics, Inc.;                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  |
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| 2.     | Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue  statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to  make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such  statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by  this report;                                          |
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| 3.     | Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial  information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects  the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the  registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;                                                              |
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| 4.     | The registrant’s other certifying officer and I are responsible for  establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined  in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control  over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and  15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have: |
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|   | (a)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     | Designed  such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls  and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material  information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated  subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities,  particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared; |
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|   | (b)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     | Designed  such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal  control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to  provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting  and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in  accordance with generally accepted accounting principles; |
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|   |  (c)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               | Evaluated  the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and  presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the  disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by  this report based on such evaluation; and |
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|   | (d)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     | Disclosed  in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial  reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter  (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that  has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the  registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and |
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| 5.     | The registrant’s other  certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation  of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors  and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons  performing the equivalent functions):                                      |
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|   | (a)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     | All significant deficiencies  and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over  financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the  registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial  information; and |
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|   | (b)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     | Any  fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees  who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over  financial reporting. |

 
| Date:  August 11, 2008 |   | By     | /s/ ANTHONY  S. MARUCCI                |
|-----------------------------|--------|--------|----------------------------------------|
|                        |   | Name:  | Anthony S.  Marucci                    |
|                        |   | Title: | President  and Chief Executive Officer |

 

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