RE: Medicago holds official groundbreaking ceremonMr Wanner new Medicago Vice President US operations was CEO of Abeome Corp.. I wasn't aware that Medicago already had a collaboration with Abeome.
Abeome Announces a Collaboration with Medicago to Develop Neutralizing Monoclonal
Antibodies to the H5N1 and H1N1 Influenza VLPs
Athens, GA, March 12, 2010, Abeome Corporation, a Georgia-based biotech company, today
announced a collaboration with Medicago Inc. (TSX-V: MDG), a biotechnology company
focused on developing highly effective and affordable vaccines based on proprietary
manufacturing technologies and Virus-Like Particles (VLPs), to develop neutralizing
monoclonal antibodies to Medicago’s H5N1 and H1N1 VLPs using its patented DiSH (Direct
Selection of Hybridoma) technology.
"Availability of a neutralizing antibody treatment for patients suffering from severe influenza
disease would greatly improve upon the current antiviral treatments which typically provide
benefit only when administered shortly after the onset of infection,” states Mike Wanner,
President and CEO of Abeome. “Medicago’s influenza VLP vaccines which contain the most
abundant surface protein of the influenza virus will aid us in developing a significant library of
antibodies to screen for high affinity and cross-reactivity with a number of influenza-types.”
“Collaborating with Abeome, a biotech company focused on the commercialization of its
patented mAb-discovery platform, will potentially enhance access to unique, highly-specific
mAbs to the influenza viruses.” said Andy Sheldon, President and CEO of Medicago.