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Oxford, UK – 21 December 2006: Oxford BioMedica (LSE: OXB), a leading gene therapy company, and Sigma-Aldrich, a leading $1.7 billion life science and high technology company, today announced that they have signed a joint licence agreement for the LentiVector technology with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), which provides GSK with access to the technology for research activities. Sigma-Aldrich is Oxford BioMedica's strategic partner and exclusive licensee in the commercialisation of the LentiVector technology for research use. 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 and applications 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.
Commenting on the news Oxford BioMedica's Senior Vice President Commercial Development, Peter Nolan, said: "We are delighted to have secured another licensee for the LentiVector gene delivery technology and we welcome GlaxoSmithKline to our portfolio of users. The industry is adopting our technology as the gold standard for various applications in research and drug discovery. With our strategic partner, Sigma-Aldrich, we are well positioned for further penetration of the research field with our technology.”
Shaf Yousaf, President of the Sigma-Aldrich Research Biotechnology business unit said: “This is the first joint licensing agreement with Oxford BioMedica and we expect this to be a model for other such agreements under our strategic alliance. As market leader in this field, we believe Oxford BioMedica's LentiVector technology has a substantial commercial opportunity as a research tool.”
1. Oxford BioMedica plc
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
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.
3. Sigma-Aldrich
Sigma-Aldrich is a leading Life Science and High Technology company. Its 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. The Company
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 7,200 employees
providing excellent service worldwide. Sigma-Aldrich is committed to Accelerating
Customer Success 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.
4 GlaxoSmithKline
GlaxoSmithKline is one of the world's leading research-based pharmaceutical
and healthcare companies and is committed to improving the quality of human
life by enabling people to do more, feel better and live longer. For more information,
visit GlaxoSmithKline on the World Wide Web at www.gsk.com.
For further information please contact:
Oxford BioMedica plc
Professor Alan Kingsman, Chief Executive
Tel: +44 (0)1865 783 000
City/Financial Enquiries
Lisa Baderoon/Mark Court/Mary-Jane Johnson
Buchanan Communications
Tel: +44 (0)20 7466 5000
Scientific/Trade Press Enquiries
Katja Stout/Gemma Bradley/Holly Griffiths Northbank Communications
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