Axis Genetics has been granted US patent protection on its novel Chimaeric Virus Particle (CVP) technology, EPICOAT®, now being used to develop a new generation of plant derived vaccines which target mucosal immunity.

In a separate announcement also being released today, Axis has confirmed its first fee bearing option agreement with a major Life Sciences company, Roche Vitamins Inc., who will evaluate the use of oral EPICOAT® vaccines in the field of animal nutrition and health.

Use of this technology makes it possible to modify plant viruses so that they display antigens of choice, derived from human or animal pathogens, on their surface. The resultant CVP particles are multiplied very cost effectively by the growing plant and can then be readily extracted for use as either a human or animal vaccine.

Axis has already developed a therapeutic cancer vaccine that elicits a strong tumour-specific response in animals using their EPICOAT® technology and this is currently undergoing further evaluation in the USA with Biomira Inc. Well advanced research programmes in the UK are also assessing the potential of EPICOAT® vaccines to protect against human Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections.

The US Patent and Trademark Office has also issued Notices of Allowance to Axis covering two further EPICOAT® technology related patent applications and these are expected to be issued during 1999.

Axis Genetics – a private company developing vaccines from plants – has two lead technologies, CVP EPICOAT® and Edible Plant Vaccines (EPV). The lead EPV product is an oral hepatitis B booster vaccine scheduled to enter a Phase I clinical trial in the USA this year.

Company news release
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