Oxford BioMedica (LSE: OXB) is a biopharmaceutical company specialising in the development and commercialisation of novel therapeutic vaccines and gene-based therapies 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.

The Company has a platform of gene delivery technologies, which are based on highly engineered viral systems. Oxford BioMedica also has in-house clinical, regulatory and manufacturing know-how. In oncology, the lead product candidate is TroVax^®, an immunotherapy for multiple solid cancers, which is licensed to sanofi-aventis for global development and commercialisation. A Phase III trial of TroVax in renal cancer is ongoing and two Phase III trials in colorectal cancer are planned. Oxford BioMedica has two other anti-cancer product candidates in Phase II development for melanoma and pancreatic cancer respectively. In neurotherapy, the Company has submitted a Clinical Trial Application to start a Phase I/II trial of its gene-based treatment for Parkinson’s disease, ProSavin^®. The neurotherapy pipeline also includes preclinical gene-based therapeutics 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 80 split between its main facilities in Oxford and its wholly owned subsidiary, BioMedica Inc, in San Diego, California. Corporate partners include sanofi-aventis for TroVax and Wyeth for an anti-cancer targeted antibody therapy. The Company also has collaborations with Sigma-Aldrich, MolMed and Virxsys. Technology licensees include Biogen Idec, Merck & Co, GlaxoSmithKline and Pfizer.

High-risk acute leukaemia is a haematological malignancy for which the only potentially curative treatment is transplantation of haematopoietic stem cells (HSCT) from a healthy donor. However, feasibility and effectiveness of HSCT are heavily limited by the shortage of fully compatible donors, which are available only for approximately 30-40% of the patient population. Partially compatible (haploidentical) family donors would be available for nearly all patients, but at present safety and efficacy of this type of transplant is limited by a high rate of transplant-related mortality associated with delayed immune reconstitution.

TK therapy is based on the use of genetically engineered (TK+) donor T lymphocytes, used in association with haplo-HSCT. TK+ donor lymphocytes can control the main complications associated with haplo-HSCT, while maintaining the anti-leukaemia effects of the transplant, thereby increasing both patients? survival and the number of available donors. Orphan drug designation for TK has been granted by the EMEA in 2003 and by the FDA in 2005. MolMed?s strategic partner Takara Bio Inc. (Japan) is developing TK for the Asian markets.

MolMed S.p.A is a biotechnology company focused on R&D and clinical validation of novel anticancer therapies. MolMed has two other anti-tumour therapeutics in clinical development: ARENEGYR, a novel vascular targeting agent (VTA), in Phase II in four indications; M3TK, a therapeutic vaccine, in Phase I/II in advanced melanoma. MolMed?s clinical pipeline is supported by a broad portfolio of therapeutic candidates. MolMed is headquartered at the San Raffaele Biomedical Science Park in Milan, Italy.