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2006/OB/26
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OXFORD BIOMEDICA EXPANDS LICENSING AGREEMENT FOR LENTIVECTOR® TECHNOLOGY WITH MAJOR PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANY
Oxford,
UK - 19 December 2006: Oxford BioMedica (LSE: OXB), a leading gene therapy company, today announced that it has expanded an existing licence agreement for its LentiVector technology with a major multinational pharmaceutical company. The amendment broadens the agreement from an annual license for use of Oxford BioMedica's gene delivery technology for research activities in the USA to a world-wide perpetual license. Under the terms of the amended agreement, Oxford BioMedica will receive a one-time undisclosed payment from the licensee. Further financial details 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. The Company has an active licensing programme providing access to its LentiVector technology on a non-exclusive basis primarily. Licensees include Biogen Idec, Merck & Co and Pfizer.
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| Notes
| 1. |
Oxford
BioMedica plc |
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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 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 two
clinical candidates and a preclinical
targeted antibody therapy, which is being
developed in collaboration with Wyeth.
The Company has started Phase III development
of its lead cancer immunotherapy product,
TroVax, in renal cancer and multiple
Phase II trials in various cancer settings
are ongoing or planned. In neurotherapy,
the Company's lead product, ProSavin, is expected to enter clinical trials in Parkinson's disease in 2007. The preclinical pipeline includes gene-based products for vision loss, motor neuron disease and nerve repair.
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, Sigma-Aldrich,
Viragen, MolMed, Virxsys and Kiadis;
and has licensed technology to a number
of companies including Merck & Co, Biogen
Idec and Pfizer. |
| 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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