GREY:MDCGF - Post by User
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gurceyon Jun 30, 2009 10:06am
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News !!!
News !!!
QUEBEC CITY, Jun 30, 2009 (Canada NewsWire via COMTEX News Network) --
MedicagoInc. (TSX-V: MDG), a biotechnology company focused on developing highlyeffective and affordable vaccines based on proprietary manufacturingtechnologies and Virus-Like Particles (VLPs), today announced that ithas received positive results from an immunogenicity study in mice withthe Company's new vaccine candidate for the influenza A (H1N1) virus,also known as swine flu. Results demonstrated that the Company's H1 VLPvaccine induced a positive immune response in mice against the H1N1influenza virus. Medicago produced the H1 VLP antigen within 14 days ofreceiving the DNA sequence with its VLP vaccine technology andProficia(TM) manufacturing technology.
"These results, coupledwith the speed of production of this new vaccine candidate, demonstratethat once approved, our plant-based VLP vaccine technology could be aneffective approach against pandemic influenza," said Andy Sheldon,President and CEO of Medicago. "With our lead H5N1 vaccine candidateexpected to commence human trials in the third quarter of this year, welook forward to delivering additional encouraging results and furtherconfirming the potential of our proprietary technologies."
"Weare very pleased by these results given the very low sensitivity ofthis strain which presents a challenge when measuringHemagglutination-inhibition antibody titers, required to demonstrateimmune reaction," said Nathalie Landry, VP Product Development ofMedicago. "Further in vitro assays will be performed with our H1 VLPvaccine in the near future to confirm its capacity to neutralize liveviruses."
Medicago's swine flu vaccine candidate elicited theproduction of hemagglutinin (HA)-inhibiting antibody in mice at levelsthat are generally considered to be protective after two doses of 5micrograms. The vaccine must undergo clinical trials and receive allrequired approval by health authorities before it could be madeavailable commercially.
About Medicago
Medicago iscommitted to provide highly effective and affordable vaccines based onproprietary Virus-Like Particle (VLP) and manufacturing technologies.Medicago is developing VLP vaccines to protect against H5N1 pandemicinfluenza, using a transient expression system which producesrecombinant vaccine antigens in non-transgenic plants. This technologyhas potential to offer advantages of speed and cost over competitivetechnologies. It could deliver a vaccine for testing in about a monthafter the identification and reception of genetic sequences from apandemic strain. This production time frame has the potential to allowvaccination of the population before the first wave of a pandemicstrikes and to supply large volumes of vaccine antigens to the worldmarket. Additional information about Medicago is available atwww.medicago.com.
Forward Looking Statements
This pressrelease contains forward-looking statements which reflect Medicago'scurrent expectations regarding future events. The forward-lookingstatements involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differmaterially from those projected herein. Medicago disclaims anyobligation to update these forward-looking statements.
<< Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation ServicesProvider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX VentureExchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of thisrelease >>