OXFORD
BIOMEDICA PLC
Oxford Biomedica Obtains Gene
Therapy Patent in the USA
Oxford,
UK - 27 March 2001. Oxford BioMedica announced today that
it had received a Notice of Allowance from the US Patent Office
for a patent covering broad aspects of lentiviral vectors
and their use in gene therapy, target validation, and gene
discovery.
This technology
forms an important part of Oxford BioMedica's Lentivector®
intellectual property that is protected by a raft of patent
and patent applications. One of the aspects of this technology
covers a novel genetic switch which improves and/or regulates
how specific genes are expressed in a cell from a lentiviral
vector. These vectors are particularly useful in Oxford BioMedica's
expanding neurobiology programmes.
Commenting
on the news, Oxford BioMedica's Chief Executive, Professor
Alan Kingsman said:
"We are delighted that the US patent office has granted
this patent. We already have a substantial portfolio of patents
in the area of gene therapy vector design and use, since it
is a key area of our technology and it is important for us
to protect the intellectual property of the Company. With
some of the proceeds from the recent fundraising, our intentions
are to continue to extend the intellectual property portfolio
of the Company." |
Return to the News
| Notes
to Editors
| 1. |
Oxford
BioMedica plc
Established in 1995, the Company specialises in the
development and application of gene-based therapeutics
using advanced gene delivery technologies for the treatment
of disease in the areas of Oncology, Viral Infection,
Neurobiology and Genetic Deficiency. Oxford BioMedica
plc was floated on the UK Alternative Investment Market
of the London Stock Exchange in December 1996 and has
recently announced its proposed move to the Official
List of the London Stock Exchange.
|
| 2. |
Lentivirus
vector systems
In gene therapy, the aim is to deliver a gene and its
necessary regulatory elements (the gene construct) to
the cell surface, using a vector to mediate the transfer
across the cell membrane and, in some cases, into the
nucleus. A new and potentially very powerful vector system
is based on lentiviruses, which have similar features
to retroviruses in the ease of manipulation, predictable
integration and reliable gene expression and regulation.
However, their main advantage over retroviruses is the
ability to function in non-dividing cells or cells that
are dividing slowly - a feature of many clinically important
tissues
|
| 3. |
Types
of lentiviruses
Lentivirus vectors are constructed from two sources:
| - |
primate
viruses e.g. human or simian immunodeficiency virus
(HIV or SIV) |
| - |
non-primate
viruses e.g. feline and bovine immunodeficiency
viruses (FIV and BIV), and one of the most simple,
equine infective anaemia virus (EIAV) |
|
| 4. |
Section
57
N M Rothschild & Sons Limited, which is regulated
in the UK by The Securities and Futures Authority Limited,
has approved the contents of this document for the purposes
of Section 57 of the Financial Services Act 1986.
|
|
| For
further information please contact: |
|
|
Oxford BioMedica plc
Professor Alan
Kingsman, Chief Executive |
Tel:
+44 (0)1865 783 000 |
| Merlin
Financial Communications
David
Simonson, Melanie Toyne Sewell
|
Tel:
+44 (0)20 7606 1244 |
| HCC
De Facto Group
Chris
Gardner |
Tel:
+44 (0)20 7496 3300 |
|
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