SAN DIEGO, Sept. 19, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Vical Incorporated (Nasdaq:VICL) announced today the issuance of Canadian Patent No. 2,365,416 and Japanese Patent No. 4,800,485 covering Vical's novel cationic lipid/co-lipid adjuvant, Vaxfectin®. Specific claims include composition of the Vaxfectin® adjuvant, composition of Vaxfectin®-formulated vaccines, and methods for their use. The new patents add to Vical's existing U.S. and European patent coverage for Vaxfectin® and to Vical's family of core technology patents broadly covering gene-based vaccines and therapeutics.
"We are pleased to extend patent coverage of our Vaxfectin® adjuvant to the important Canadian and Japanese markets," said Vijay B. Samant, Vical's President and Chief Executive Officer. "Vaxfectin® was discovered through extensive screening of Vical's lipid portfolio, and represents the best-performing among this new class of adjuvants which can be used for both conventional and DNA vaccines. We have a growing library of research documenting its use with a variety of infectious diseases and cancer applications. We have successfully demonstrated the adjuvant's tolerability in three Phase 1 clinical trials with Vaxfectin®-formulated vaccines against pandemic strains of influenza."
About Vical
Vical researches and develops biopharmaceutical products based on its patented DNA delivery technologies for the prevention and treatment of serious or life-threatening diseases. Potential applications of the company's DNA delivery technology include DNA vaccines for infectious diseases or cancer, in which the expressed protein is an immunogen; cancer immunotherapeutics, in which the expressed protein is an immune system stimulant; and cardiovascular therapies, in which the expressed protein is an angiogenic growth factor. The company is developing certain infectious disease vaccines and cancer therapeutics internally. In addition, the company collaborates with major pharmaceutical companies and biotechnology companies that give it access to complementary technologies or greater resources. These strategic partnerships provide the company with mutually beneficial opportunities to expand its product pipeline and address significant unmet medical needs. Additional information on Vical is available at www.vical.com.
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This press release contains forward-looking statements subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. Forward-looking statements include statements about Vical's technology and its current and potential applications, the scope of coverage of and potential applications for the company's issued and future patents and the potential uses and benefits of Vaxfectin®, as well as the company's focus, collaborative partners, and product candidates. Risks and uncertainties include whether the company's technology will be successfully applied; whether the company's issued patents will be challenged and whether such challenges will have an adverse effect on the scope of the patents; whether the company will enforce its issued patents or will be successful in any enforcement efforts; whether the company will successfully prosecute additional patent applications and whether such applications will lead to the issuance of additional patents; whether Vaxfectin® will be safe and effective at enhancing the immune response in any commercially viable product candidates; whether the company or any of its collaborative partners will incorporate Vaxfectin® into any of their product candidates; whether any product candidates will be shown to be safe and effective in clinical trials; the timing, nature and cost of clinical trials; whether Vical or its collaborative partners will seek or gain approval to market any product candidates; whether Vical or its collaborative partners will succeed in marketing any product candidates; and additional risks set forth in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These forward-looking statements represent the company's judgment as of the date of this release. The company disclaims, however, any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements.