Contacts:
Investor Relations Mike Feehan
Avantogen, Ltd. Account Executive
Tel: +61 2 9252 6899 Monsoon for Avantogen
E-mail: jillw@avantogen.com Tel: + 61 3 9620 3333
Email: mikef@monsoon.net.au
AVANTOGEN TO CO-DEVELOP GENITAL HERPES VACCINE LEVERAGING PROPRIETARY
ADJUVANT TECHNOLOGY
Studies to be Conducted at the University of Alabama at Birmingham
School of Medicine
Sydney, Australia; San Diego, CA, USA – June 7, 2005 – Avantogen Limited
(ASX: ACU), an
international biotechnology company developing an oncology and
infectious disease product portfolio,
today announced that it is initiating a preclinical study to develop a
new therapeutic vaccine for herpes
simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) in collaboration with the University of
Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). The
vaccine is being developed to reduce the recurrence and shorten the
duration of herpetic lesions and, if
effective, is expected to be useful for immunization of high risk groups
such as pre-teens prior to potential
exposure to HSV-2. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH)
an estimated 85 million people
worldwide are infected with HSV-2.
Avantogen will combine its GPI-0100 adjuvant, which has been shown to
significantly enhance the
immune response, with a genetically engineered, live attenuated HSV-2
vaccine candidate designed to
stimulate an effective immune response against HSV-2. The study will be
conducted at the UAB School
of Medicine under the direction of Earl R. Kern, Ph.D., Research
Professor at UAB Department of
Pediatrics and a recognized expert in the area of herpes viruses.
GPI-0100 is one of several immune
enhancing adjuvants develop by Galenica, which was acquired by
Avantogen, previously Australian
Cancer Technology, in July 2004.
“We are excited to be developing a much needed vaccine for HSV-2, one of
the most common sexually
transmitted diseases in the world,” said Dr. Leonard Firestone, CEO of
Avantogen. “These studies will
provide us with an opportunity to expand the use of GPI-0100 in the
development of vaccines against
other infectious agents.”
GPI-0100 is Avantogen’s lead compound for use in the active
immunotherapy of cancer and some
chronic infectious diseases. A proprietary semi-synthetic saponin
derivative, GPI-0100 acts by upregulating
the body’s immune system and stimulating both humoral and an effective
T-cell immunity with
CTL production. Compared with other immune stimulatory saponins,
GPI-0100 has superior stability and
safety profile, making it an ideal candidate for the development of
novel therapeutics or preventive
vaccines.
Attenuated vaccines use live infectious agents, which share several of
the crucial antigens with the one
producing the disease, but lack the infectious agent’s virulence. Thus
an attenuated vaccine may induce
immunity against the virulent agent without producing any secondary
lesions. The recombinant
attenuated HSV-2 vaccine candidate has eight gene deletions to assure it
does not cause latent
infection, yet it retains the capacity to replicate. The virus induces
neutralizing antibodies and is
protective against severe HSV-2 genital challenge in animal models.
About Avantogen
Avantogen (formerly Australian Cancer Technology) is an international
biotechnology company
developing a broad oncology-related product portfolio. Avantogen is
developing RP101, an exceptionally
promising pancreatic cancer drug currently in Phase II clinical studies,
through a joint venture with
Bioaccelerate of New York. Avantogen’s Pentrys™ anti-cancer vaccine is
undergoing phase IIb clinical
trials in prostate cancer patients, and the company is advancing a
family of immune-enhancing adjuvants
in three Phase I cancer trials in the United States. The company has
also marketed Revisys™, a
branded line of medical nutritionals specifically developed to address
special nutritional needs, such as
those following cancer treatments. Avantogen is traded on the Australian
Stock Exchange (ASX) under
Page 2 – Avantogen to Co-Develop Genital Herpes Vaccine
the symbol ACU. The company has established a Level 1 ADR stock program
in the U.S. trading under
the symbol AUCJY and also is listed on the Xetra exchange, the
electronic trading system of the
Frankfurt Stock Exchange, trading under the symbol CBS.
Forward-Looking Statements
Statements contained in this press release that are not historical
information are forward-looking
statements as defined within the Private Securities Litigation Reform
Act of 1995. Such forward-looking
statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause
Avantogen’s (“company”) actual
results to differ materially from those projected or implied. Such
potential risks and uncertainties relate,
but are not limited, to the results of clinical trials, product demand
and market acceptance, the impact of
competitive products and pricing, effectiveness and pace of current and
future product development, and
regulatory approval. More detailed information on these and additional
factors that could affect the
company’s operating and financial results are described in the company's
annual reports filed or to be
filed with the Australian Stock Exchange. The company urges all
interested parties to read these reports
to gain a better understanding of the many business and other risks that
the company faces. The
historical results achieved by the company are not necessarily
indicative of its future prospects. The
company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any
forward-looking statements, whether
as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
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