VIRAGEN
GRANTED WORLD WIDE LICENSE FOR NEW CANCER VACCINE
Thursday,
September 7, 2000
PLANTATION,
FLORIDA – SEPTEMBER 7, 2000 – Viragen, Inc. (AMEX:
“VRA”) today announced that Viragen (Scotland)
Ltd. (“VSL”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Viragen
(Europe) Ltd. (OTC BB: “VERP”), has been granted a
world wide exclusive commercial license to develop,
research, use, make and sell the technology based upon
a patent application filed by the U.K.’s Cancer
Research Campaign Technology (“CRCT”). The pending
patent entitled, “Tumor associated antigen
791Tgp72” (No. WO 99/43800), was published by the
World Intellectual Property Organization (“WIPO”)
on September 2, 1999. The designated territories to be
targeted in the national phase of the patent coverage
are U.S.A., Europe, Canada, Japan, Australia and New
Zealand.
The
technology relates to a tumor-associated antigen and a
novel method for its isolation and use in new methods
of medical treatment, in particular, cancer vaccines.
The development of a cancer vaccine will involve
priming the body’s own immune system to kill
cancerous cells and also to elicit a protective immune
response. This technology serves as the basis for
Viragen’s collaborative agreement with the
University of Nottingham and CRCT to develop a new
cancer vaccine therapy for the treatment of several
oncological indications, including breast, ovarian and
colorectal cancers.
Dr.
William H. Stimson, considered a pioneer in the
therapeutic use of human monoclonal antibodies,
describes the science related to the patent on
Viragen’s Web site at: www.viragen.com
Mr.
Gerald Smith, Viragen’s Chairman and CEO, stated,
“This license gives Viragen exclusive access to
world class technology for a potential cancer vaccine.
It also provides Viragen access to CRCT’s
internationally-renowned expertise in cancer research
which could result in related breakthroughs.”
Dr.
Magnus Nicolson, Viragen’s COO, added, “The
University of Nottingham’s Department of Clinical
Oncology is one of the top cancer research centers in
the UK with an international reputation. As well as
excellent research capabilities, their expertise in
the conduct for clinical trials in the area of cancer
may play an important role in our clinical development
plans. I look forward to a long and successful
collaboration with Dr. Durrant on this vaccine
therapeutic and possibly other exciting projects.”
The
development work for the Cancer Vaccine Project will
take place primarily at the Cancer Research Campaign
Department of Clinical Oncology at the University of
Nottingham, England, where the technology described in
the patent application originated.
CRCT
is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Cancer Research
Campaign (“CRC”), a U.K. charity and has exclusive
access to most of CRC’s intellectual property. CRCT
is a world leader in its specialty field of cancer.
CRCT has relationships with many of the major
pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies in the
world.
Viragen,
Inc. is engaged in the research, development and
manufacture of immunomodulatory therapeutic products,
including natural human interferon and human
monoclonal antibodies for the treatment of various
life-threatening and debilitating diseases such as
hepatitis B & C, multiple sclerosis, genital
herpes and cancer.
Produced
in its Scottish facility, Viragen’s lead product,
Omniferon™, is currently in Phase II clinical trials
in Europe for hepatitis C, a disease estimated to
afflict tens of millions worldwide. Viragen has a
collaborative agreement with the Common Services
Agency of the United Kingdom; preferential access to
white blood cells collected by the German Red Cross
and America’s Blood Centers; and a white blood cell
agreement with the American Red Cross.
Viragen
is also collaborating with Zonagen, Inc. in studying a
topically applied enhanced formulation of Omniferon
for the treatment of genital herpes, a sexually
transmitted disease infecting one out of every five
Americans aged 12 or older.
Viragen’s
Oncology Project includes a collaboration with
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center for the
development of a human monoclonal antibody for the
treatment of melanoma and other cancers. Viragen is
also collaborating with the U.K.’s Cancer Research
Campaign Technology to develop a cancer vaccine
therapy for the treatment of several indications,
including breast, ovarian and colorectal cancers.
Viragen is involved in an additional project with
Cryolife, Inc. to assess the potential of attaching
anti cancer proteins to human monoclonal antibodies
and delivering them to specific tumors.
Viragen has also
entered into a Space Act Agreement with NASA’s
Johnson Space Center to test micro-gravity
bioreactors.
Media Contact:
Robert Cadogan, Communications Group, Phone
(561)-392-2300; Fax (561) 394-6315; e-mail: bobc@commgroup.org
Corporate Contact: Mel Rothberg,
Executive Vice President; Phone: (954) 233-8746; Fax
(954) 233-8743; E-mail: mrothberg@viragen.com
For more information contact
“Company News On Call” at 800-758-5804, followed
by extension 116574.
