Oxford BioMedica Announces Lentiviral Vector Development and Manufacturing Collaboration
Oxford, UK – 1 May 2013: Oxford BioMedica plc ("Oxford BioMedica" or "the Company") (LSE: OXB), the leading gene-based biopharmaceutical company, announces that it has signed an agreement with Novartis to manufacture clinical grade material utilising Oxford BioMedica's LentiVector® gene delivery technology.
Under the terms of the agreement, Oxford BioMedica will also provide certain process development services and expects to receive between £2.5 million and £4 million from Novartis over the next 12 months.
Oxford BioMedica will be responsible for manufacturing several batches of a lentiviral vector encoding CTL019 technology. This vector will be used to transduce patients' immune cells (T-cells) in an ex vivo process before they are re-infused into patients. CTL019 targets a protein called CD19 that is associated with a number of B-cell malignancies including chronic lymphocytic leukemia, B-cell acute lymphocytic leukaemia and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.
John Dawson, Chief Executive Officer of Oxford BioMedica, commented: "We are delighted to be working with Novartis to support a key immunotherapy programme. The strategic investment in our specialist manufacturing capabilities is a pivotal step towards building a financially self-sustaining business and this collaboration is an example of how we can commercialise our expertise."
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Notes to editors:
1. Oxford BioMedica®
Oxford BioMedica plc (LSE: OXB) is a biopharmaceutical company developing innovative gene-based medicines and therapeutic vaccines that aim to improve the lives of patients with high unmet medical needs. The Company's technology platform includes a highly efficient LentiVector® gene delivery system, which has specific advantages for targeting diseases of the central nervous system and the eye; and a unique tumour antigen (5T4), which is an ideal target for anti-cancer therapy. Through in-house and collaborative research, Oxford BioMedica has a broad pipeline with current partners and licensees including Sanofi, Pfizer, Novartis, GlaxoSmithKline, MolMed, Sigma-Aldrich, Biogen Idec, Emergent BioSolutions, ImaginAb and Immune Design Corp. Further information is available at www.oxfordbiomedica.co.uk and www.oxbsolutions.co.uk.
2. LentiVector® gene delivery technology
Oxford BioMedica's LentiVector® gene delivery technology is one of the most advanced gene delivery systems currently available, which has many applications in product development and discovery research. It is the system of choice for gene-based treatments addressing chronic and inherited diseases. Oxford BioMedica has established a dominant intellectual property estate in the field of lentiviral-vector mediated gene delivery through its in-house research and from work conducted by the Company's co-founders at Oxford University.
For further information please contact:
Oxford BioMedica plc
Lara Mott, Head of Corporate Communications
Tel: +44 (0)1865 783 000
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Shaun Dobson/Graeme Summers/Jenny Wyllie
Tel: +44 (0)20 3205 7500
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Mary Clark/Sarah Macleod/Claire Dickinson
Tel: +44 (0)20 7920 2360