OXFORD BIOMEDICA
SECURES INNOVATIVE ANTI-CANCER TECHNOLOGY
Agreement Signed with
Sheffield University Advances Cancer Programme
Oxford BioMedica plc, a world
leader in retroviral gene delivery technologies, announced
today that it has signed an agreement with the University
of Sheffield to acquire advanced tumour targeting technology.
The novel technology exploits the ability
of a type of white blood cell, called a macrophage, to infiltrate
tumours. The research team, based at the Sheffield University
Medical School, in collaboration with scientists at the Institute
of Molecular Medicine at Oxford, have discovered how to modify
macrophages so that they deposit anti-cancer genes directly
to the heart of a tumour. In combination with Oxford BioMedica's
advanced gene therapy technologies, the technique may allow
powerful therapeutics to be targeted specifically to tumour
cells without causing the harmful side effects associated
with most anti-cancer treatments.
Oxford BioMedica believes that the acquisition
of this valuable technology has the potential to accelerate
its clinical development strategy in cancer. 'This macrophage
technology opens up the opportunity of specifically targeting
our gene-based therapeutic treatments to a wide range of solid
tumours. Combined with our existing technology, it creates
a potentially powerful new clinical approach to the treatment
of cancers,' stated Professor Alan Kingsman, Chief Executive.
Dr Claire Lewis,
Senior Lecturer in Cellular and Molecular Pathology at Sheffield
University, said: 'I am extremely excited to be working with
Oxford BioMedica who have the skills and the clinical focus
needed to ensure that the potential of this technology is
realised.'
Notes to Editors
1. Oxford BioMedica is a gene therapy company, established
in 1995, specialising in the development and commercialisation
of novel customised gene delivery technologies for the treatment
of cancer, AIDS, neurodegenerative disease and cystic fibrosis.
The company was floated on the UK Alternative Investment Market
of the London Stock Exchange in December 1996.
2. The Institute of Molecular
Medicine (IMM) was established in 1989 in the Clinical School
of the University of Oxford to carry out research in molecular
and cell biology with direct application to the study of human
disease. Professor Adrian Harris is Professor of Clinical
Oncology at the IMM and is Director of the UK Imperial Cancer
Research Fund (ICRF) Oncology Unit at the John Radcliffe Hospital,
Oxford, UK.
3. This research published in
Nature Medicine (1.5.97) was funded by the UK ICRF, Medical
Research Council (MRC), Wellcome Trust and the US National
Cancer Institute (NCI, Grant No. PO1-CA55165)
4. Additional information is
available from the 30th April 1997 on the following websites:
http://www.oxfordbiomedica.co.uk http://www.immwww.jr2.ox.ac.
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