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2005/OB/34
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OXFORD BIOMEDICA
AND SIGMA-ALDRICH ENTER STRATEGIC ALLIANCE FOR COMMERCIALISATION
OF LENTIVECTOR® TECHNOLOGY
Oxford, UK and
St Louis, Missouri, USA: 20 October 2005 – Oxford BioMedica
(LSE: OXB), the leading gene therapy company, and Sigma-Aldrich
(NASDAQ: SIAL), a leading life science and high technology
company, today announced an agreement for Sigma-Aldrich to
commercialise Oxford BioMedica’s LentiVector technology
for the reagent and research tool market. The announcement
was made at the Cambridge Healthtech Institute’s Third
Annual ‘Discovery on Target’ conference, being
held in Boston from 18 - 21 October, where both Companies
are sponsoring sessions and presenting data.
This strategic
alliance identifies Sigma-Aldrich as Oxford BioMedica’s
exclusive global partner in the development and marketing
of research products based on the LentiVector technology.
Sigma-Aldrich plans to develop a range of high value LentiVector
research products for its extensive customer base in the pharmaceutical,
biotechnology and academic sectors.
Under the agreement,
which gives Sigma-Aldrich the exclusive right to sublicense
the technology for research purposes, Oxford BioMedica will
receive an upfront payment, annual minimum payments and royalties
on sales. In addition Sigma-Aldrich has first rights to negotiate
for a license to develop a new range of products based on
Oxford BioMedica’s EIAV-based LentiVector technology.
Furthermore, Sigma-Aldrich has committed to an equity investment
of $5 million in Oxford BioMedica, to be completed before
31 January, 2006. Other financial terms were not disclosed.
Oxford BioMedica’s
lentivirus-based gene delivery technology, known as LentiVector,
is one of the most powerful technologies for the delivery
of genes to a wide range of cell and tissue types. The LentiVector
technology has applications both in therapeutic products and
as a drug discovery tool for target validation and the creation
of targeted disease models. Oxford BioMedica has a comprehensive
portfolio of US and European patents that cover the technology.
Existing licensees and partners for the LentiVector technology
include Biogen Idec, Merck & Co, Pfizer and Viragen.
Commenting on today’s
announcement, Peter Nolan, Senior Vice President of Oxford
BioMedica said: “We are delighted to work with Sigma-Aldrich
as our chosen partner for commercialisation of the LentiVector
technology in the research reagent market. Through its broad
scientific customer base and membership of the internationally
renowned RNAi Consortium, Sigma is a clear leader in this
area. This partnership will allow Oxford BioMedica to derive
maximum benefit from research applications of the technology,
while keeping the primary business development focus on the
commercialisation of our therapeutic product pipeline”.
Shaf Yousaf,
President of the Sigma-Aldrich Research Biotechnology business
unit stated: “Over the course of the last 12 months
Sigma has made a number of strategic moves, including formation
of a research collaboration with The RNAi Consortium (TRC),
acquisition of Proligo, and the licensing of key intellectual
property from MIT and Alnylam, designed to enable us to become
a dominant player in the area of RNA Interference. The addition
of the Oxford BioMedica patents to the Sigma RNAi intellectual
property portfolio further solidifies our position in this
important field of research. Additionally, the equity stake
in Oxford BioMedica ensures our ability to capitalise on their
extensive knowledge in this area and clears the way for a
collaborative effort that we expect to result in even more
innovative tools for the biopharmaceutical industry.”
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Notes
| 1. |
Oxford
BioMedica |
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Oxford
BioMedica (LSE: OXB) is a biopharmaceutical
company specialising in the development
of novel gene-based therapeutics with a
focus on the areas of oncology and neurotherapy.
The Company was established in 1995 as a
spin out from Oxford University, and is
listed on the London Stock Exchange.
Oxford
BioMedica has core expertise in gene delivery,
as well as in-house clinical, regulatory
and manufacturing know-how. In oncology,
the pipeline includes an immunotherapy and
a gene therapy in multiple Phase II trials,
and a preclinical targeted antibody therapy
in collaboration with Wyeth. In neurotherapy,
the Company’s lead product is a gene
therapy for Parkinson’s disease, which
is expected to enter clinical trials in
2006, and four further preclinical candidates.
The Company is underpinned by over 80 patent
families, which represent one of the broadest
patent estates in the field.
The
Company has a staff of approximately 70
split between its main facilities in Oxford
and its wholly owned subsidiary, BioMedica
Inc, in San Diego, California. Oxford BioMedica
has corporate collaborations with Wyeth,
Intervet, Viragen, MolMed and Kiadis; and
has licensed technology to a number of companies
including Merck & Co, Biogen Idec and
Pfizer.
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| 2. |
LentiVector
technology |
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Oxford
BioMedica’s LentiVector gene delivery
technology, based on lentiviruses, is arguably
the most potent system currently available
for treating a range of diseases, particularly
those of the central nervous system. Oxford
BioMedica has shown that its lentiviral
vectors are able to deliver genes with high
efficiency to a variety of both dividing
and non-dividing cells, including neurons
in the brain.
Oxford
BioMedica has three issued US patents and
a European patent for its LentiVector technology.
These include broad composition of matter
claims and methods of production claims
for lentiviral vector gene delivery systems
of both human and non-human origin. The
patents also cover derivatives of lentiviral
vector systems that, unlike many versions
of lentiviral vectors, have real clinical
utility because of their safety.
The
Company has established a neurotherapy pipeline
of product candidates based on its LentiVector
technology, which includes ProSavin®
for Parkinson’s disease, RetinoStat®
for retinopathy, MoNudin®
for motor neuron disease, SMN1-G for spinal
muscular atrophy and Innurex®
for nerve repair.
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| 3. |
Sigma
Aldrich |
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Sigma-Aldrich
is a leading Life Science and High Technology
company. The Company's biochemical and organic
chemical products and kits are used in scientific
and genomic research, biotechnology, pharmaceutical
development, the diagnosis of disease and
as key components in pharmaceutical and other
high technology manufacturing. It has customers
in life science companies, university and
government institutions, hospitals, and in
industry. Over one million scientists and
technologists use its products. Sigma-Aldrich
operates in 35 countries and has over 6,800
employees providing excellent service worldwide.
The Company is committed to the Accelerating
the success of its Customers through leadership
in Life Science, High Technology and Service.
For
more information about Sigma-Aldrich, please
visit its award- winning website at www.sigma-aldrich.com
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This
release contains forward-looking statements
relating to future performance, goals, strategic
actions and initiatives, and similar intentions
and beliefs and other statements regarding
the Company's expectations, goals, beliefs,
intentions and the like, which involve assumptions
regarding Company operations and conditions
in the markets the Company serves. The Company
does not undertake any obligation to update
these forward-looking statements.
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For
further information please contact:
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Oxford BioMedica plc
Professor Alan
Kingsman, Chief Executive
Peter
Nolan, SVP Commercial Development |
Tel: +44 (0)1865 783 000 |
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Sigma-Aldrich
Christina Shasserre
Joan Suda
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Tel: +1 314 286 7676
Tel: +1 314 286 7626
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City/Financial
Enquiries
Lisa
Baderoon/Mark
Court/Mary-Jane
Johnson
Buchanan Communications |
Tel: +44 (0)20 7466 5000 |
Scientific/Trade
Press Enquiries
Sue
Charles, Katja
Stout
Northbank Communications |
Tel:
+44 (0)20 7886 8150 |
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