Summary: Pharmexa and Ichor Medical Systems, Inc. have entered into a license agreement to co-develop Pharmexa's DNA-based vaccines delivered by Ichor's TriGridTM electroporation device. A novel universal influenza vaccine candidate is a key focus of the co-development. Pharmexa and Ichor have entered into an agreement to co-develop multiple DNA vaccines to combat important diseases of high unmet medical need. It is well recognized that in vivo electroporation is a promising means of enhancing the potency of DNA vaccines. The co-development programmes include a vaccine against malaria as well as a universal influenza vaccine. Pharmexa's DNA vaccines were developed with the aid of its proprietary EIS® technology and are based on pathogen-derived conserved T-lymphocyte (HTL) and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) epitopes. These vaccines are primarily aimed at inducing strong and protective cellular immune responses in the vast majority of people. The universal influenza vaccine is designed to provide enhanced protection against influenza in the elderly, a growing population group particularly vulnerable to influenza-related morbidity and mortality. The epitopes included in the vaccine are derived from highly conserved portions of viral proteins from past and current viral strains, predicted to cover all human and avian strains. If safe and efficacious, this truly universal influenza vaccine holds promise as a seasonal influenza vaccine and as a vaccine against the pandemic threat. Ichor's TriGrid Delivery System uses electroporation to open pathways into cells, dramatically increasing the intracellular delivery of the DNA vaccine into the cells at the site of administration, increasing potency over 100 times compared to other methods of delivery. Ichor's advanced, push-button electroporation system minimizes operator error and ensures the safe, rapid, effective and reproducible administration of DNA from one patient to another enabling the clinical application of electroporation in a manner capable of supporting the development and commercialization of DNA-based products. Both, Pharmexa and Ichor are recognized leaders in their fields and contribute their core technologies and know-how to accelerate development of identified co-development projects. Thus, Pharmexa will be primarily responsible for developing the vaccine component and Ichor will primarily be responsible for developing the electroporation delivery device. Financial details of the agreement were not disclosed; however, the parties will share the costs and rewards of the joint programs. “Pharmexa is delighted to partner some of its unique polyepitope vaccine projects with Ichor”, says Marc Hertz, CEO of Pharmexa-Epimmune. “We believe electroporation-mediated delivery of DNA vaccines has the potential to revolutionize the DNA vaccine field. Rationally designed vaccines, such as the universal influenza vaccine, combined with superior delivery technologies, may provide new opportunities for prophylaxis and treatment of important diseases” Hørsholm, March 10, 2008 Jakob Schmidt Chief Executive Officer Additional information: Jakob Schmidt, CEO, tel +45 4516 2525 Claude Mikkelsen, Vice President, Corporate Affairs and Communication, tel +45 4516 2525 or +45 4060 2558 For the editors: Pharmexa A/S is a leading company in the field of active immunotherapy and vaccines for the treatment of cancer, serious chronic and infectious diseases. Pharmexa's proprietary technology platforms are broadly applicable, allowing the company to address critical targets in cancer and chronic diseases, as well as serious infectious diseases such as HIV, influenza, hepatitis and malaria. Its leading programs are GV1001, a peptide vaccine that has entered phase III trials in pancreatic cancer and phase II trials in liver cancer, and HIV and hepatitis vaccines in phase I/II. Collaborative agreements include H. Lundbeck, GENimmune, IDM Pharma, Bavarian Nordic and Ichor Medical Systems. With operations in Denmark, Norway and USA, Pharmexa employs approximately 80 employees and is listed on the Copenhagen Stock Exchange under the trading symbol PHARMX. Ichor Medical Systems' TriGrid™ Delivery System is the first integrated and fully automated system for electroporation-mediated DNA administration. Ichor, a privately-held biotech company based in San Diego, CA, is collaborating with partners on three continents in a wide range of studies to test the TriGrid as an enabling platform for delivery of DNA drugs and vaccines to treat diseases such as avian flu, hepatitis B, HIV, melanoma, multiple sclerosis, and others. The TriGrid is also being tested by the U.S. military as an efficient means of delivering anti-bioterrorism agents. Ichor's current research partners include Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center, Bayhill Therapeutics, Genexine, the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative, the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, the Pasteur Institute, Pharmexa-Epimmune, Rockefeller University, The Scripps Research Institute, the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), the Naval Medical Research Center (NMRC) and the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO). For further information, visit www.ichorms.com.
Pharmexa and Ichor Medical Systems enter into an agreement to co-develop multiple DNA vaccines delivered by electroporation
| Source: Affitech A/S