Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2001. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
PRNewswire - November 29, 2001
Under the agreement, the companies will combine Epimmune's technology and expertise in the fields of T-cell epitope (protein fragment) identification and vaccine design with Bavarian Nordic's vaccine delivery technology, Modified Vaccinia Ankara (MVA), and its development and manufacturing expertise to design and develop both therapeutic and prophylactic HIV vaccines. The non-exclusive agreement allows the companies to work together with the combined technology in the HIV field. In addition, Bavarian Nordic retains the worldwide, exclusive rights to manufacture vaccines resulting from the collaboration, subject to the terms of the agreement. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
Emile Loria, M.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Epimmune said, "Combining our expertise in creating epitope-based vaccines that direct the immune system to the conserved regions of multiple HIV proteins with Bavarian Nordic's proven MVA vaccine delivery expertise and manufacturing capabilities represents an important advance in our efforts to develop effective vaccines to treat and prevent this catastrophic disease. Epimmune has evaluated a number of viral vector delivery technologies and has chosen to partner with Bavarian Nordic as a result of the capabilities of Bavarian Nordic and because the Bavarian Nordic MVA vector has already been administered to patients."
Peter Wulff, President and CEO of Bavarian Nordic commented, "We are pleased to be working with Epimmune in the area of HIV. We believe that by working with Epimmune we will strengthen our position even further within HIV vaccine development. Our MVA delivery technology, which has shown promise in other disease settings, can play an important role in developing an effective HIV vaccine. Epimmune is the recognized leader in the field of epitope identification, vaccine design and optimization and its expertise complements our HIV portfolio. The ability of our partner to identify epitopes from the conserved or non-mutating regions of the virus should make it more difficult for variants to develop which could escape the immune response induced by the vaccine."
About Epimmune
Epimmune Inc. is a leader in using gene maps of cancer-associated proteins and infectious agents to design vaccines that induce cellular immunity. Epimmune's technology platform is based on its pioneering work in deciphering the genetic code which regulates T-cell activation and identifying antigen fragments known as epitopes which can activate highly targeted T-cell responses to tumors, viruses, bacteria and parasites. This new field of pharmacology opens two significant areas of pharmaceutical development: protective vaccines that activate T-cell protection against infections, such as HIV and hepatitis C, and therapeutic vaccines designed to stimulate antigen-specific T-cell responses to infections, such as HIV, hepatitis C and hepatitis B, and tumors such as breast, colon, lung and prostate. For more information on Epimmune, visit http://www.epimmune.com.
About Bavarian Nordic
Bavarian Nordic is a world leader in the research, development and manufacturing of vaccines and immunotherapy against infectious diseases and life-threatening cancer. The company has four ongoing clinical programs in HIV, malignant melanoma, smallpox and pancreatic cancer and pre-clinical and research programs within a number of infectious diseases and cancer. For more information on Bavarian Nordic, visit http://www.bavarian-nordic.com.
This press release includes forward-looking statements that reflect Epimmune management's current views of future events, including the utility of each company's technologies and the anticipated benefits of vaccines being developed by Epimmune and Bavarian Nordic under this collaboration. The forward-looking statements contained in this release are subject to certain risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from current expectations. Among the factors which could affect actual results and could cause results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements contained herein are: risks associated with the ability to develop vaccines using epitopes, the ability of epitope-based vaccines to control HIV, other infectious diseases and cancer, the safety and efficacy of epitope-based vaccines in humans, Epimmune's reliance on Bavarian Nordic's MVA delivery technology to develop and commercialize HIV vaccines and on Bavarian Nordic to manufacture these vaccines, the timely commencement and success of clinical trials and other research endeavors, delays in receiving FDA or other regulatory approvals, the development of competing therapies and/or technologies, whether any vaccine developed by Epimmune and Bavarian Nordic will be commercially successful, the ability to enter into and maintain strategic alliances and the possible need for additional capital. These factors are more fully discussed in Epimmune's 2000 Form 10-K, most recent 10-Qs and other periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
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