The NIH collaboration is a Cooperative Research
and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the Clinical Gene Therapy
Branch of the National Human Genome Research Institute and
builds on Oxford BioMedica's proprietary lentiviral vector
technology and the NIH's dual virus vector systems. The systems
under development are expected to be applicable to a wide
variety of diseases.
The North Carolina collaboration will build
on the Company's lentiviral technology based on the equine
infectious anaemia virus (EIAV) through a sponsored research
programme in the laboratory of Dr John Olsen who has extensive
experience of this area. Oxford BioMedica is the only gene
therapy company that is developing vectors based on EIAV.
Oxford BioMedica's Chief Executive, Professor
Alan Kingsman, said "We are delighted to be working alongside
two such prestigious groups in the USA. These collaborations
will further strengthen our technology platform and ensure
we maintain a leading competitive position in the rapid development
of effective gene-based therapeutics."
"Oxford BioMedica is particularly pleased
to be increasing its research and development programmes in
North America, and to be working with research groups which
additionally offer the opportunity to explore clinical trials
with leading centres in the USA," he added.
