OXB awarded research grant

RNS Number : 5941O

Oxford Biomedica PLC

01 July 2010

 



OXFORD BIOMEDICA AND VIB-K.U.LEUVEN ANNOUNCE COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH PROJECT FUNDED BY THE MOTOR NEURONE DISEASE ASSOCIATION TO DEVELOP MoNuDin^® FOR TREATMENT OF AMYOTROPHIC LATERAL SCLEROSIS

Oxford (UK) and Leuven (Belgium) - 1 July 2010: Oxford BioMedica (LSE: OXB), the leading UK gene therapy company, VIB, a life sciences research institute in Flanders, Belgium and the UK Motor Neurone Disease Association (MND Association) are pleased to announce the award by MND Association of a research grant to support the further preclinical evaluation of MoNuDin^® for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease).  The grant is for £255,000 and will fund a collaborative project between Oxford BioMedica and the research group of Professor Peter Carmeliet, Director of the VIB Vesalius Research Center and Professor of Medicine at K.U. Leuven.

ALS is the most common form of motor neurone disease and is characterised by the loss of motor neurones in the brain and spinal cord resulting in progressive paralysis.  Life expectancy ranges from two to five years from the onset of symptoms. There are currently no curative treatments available. Gene therapy offers potential as a novel therapeutic approach for the treatment of this devastating disease.

The collaboration will utilise Oxford BioMedica's advanced LentiVector^® gene delivery technology to compare the therapeutic potential of two forms of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF).  Previous preclinical studies carried out by Oxford BioMedica and VIB, also funded by the MND Association, have shown that one form of VEGF delayed disease onset, slowed disease progression and extended life expectancy in ALS research models. This project will also evaluate the optimal delivery protocol for these gene therapy approaches. 

Professor Peter Carmeliet, Director of the VIB Vesalius Research Center, commented: "Thanks to this important funding by the MND Association, we are able to continue the excellent collaboration with Oxford Biomedica which brings all parties involved to the frontline of biotechnology. I am especially pleased by this type of collaboration between innovative biotech companies and academia because they offer an important leverage for successful development of pharmaceuticals."

MoNuDin^® is based on Oxford BioMedica's advanced LentiVector^® gene delivery technology and is designed to protect motor neurones susceptible to degeneration as a result of ALS through the delivery of a neuroprotective VEGF gene. Oxford BioMedica is also conducting further preclinical studies of MoNuDin^® in the area of ALS in collaboration with the ALS Therapy Development Institute.

Oxford BioMedica's Chief Scientific Officer, Dr Stuart Naylor, commented: "We are delighted to have received funding from the MND Association for this exciting collaborative project on the further development of MoNuDin^®. We are also very pleased to be working again with the excellent research team of Professor Carmeliet at VIB. Together we aim to further the preclinical development of MoNuDin^® and accelerate its progression to clinical studies."

Dr Brian Dickie, Director of Research Development at the MND Association, said: "One of the major hurdles to treating motor neurone disease is ensuring that therapeutic agents are delivered to their site of action in the brain and spinal cord. We are delighted to support a research initiative which combines innovative approaches to drug delivery with the development of a promising therapeutic compound."

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For further information, please contact:
Oxford BioMedica plc: John Dawson, Chief Executive Officer Stuart Naylor, Chief Scientific Officer	Tel: [phone]
Media/Financial Enquiries: Emma Thompson/ Rob Newman/ Ben Simons M:Communications	Tel: [phone]
Patient Enquiries VIB/K.U.Leuven Joris Gansemans, Press officer   Peter Carmeliet, Professor at Vesalius Research Centre	Tel: [phone] Tel: [phone] [e-mail]
Media enquiries relating to MND Association Louise Coxon	Tel: [phone]
US Enquiries: Thomas Fechtner The Trout Group LLC	Tel: [phone]

 

Notes to editors

1. Oxford BioMedica^®

Oxford BioMedica (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 gene delivery system (LentiVector^®), 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 and its partners include sanofi-aventis, Sigma-Aldrich and Pfizer. Technology licensees include Biogen Idec, GlaxoSmithKline, Merck & Co and Pfizer. Further information is available at www.oxfordbiomedica.co.uk

2. About VIB Vesalius Research Center

VIB is a non-profit research institute in the life sciences in Flanders, Belgium, with 1200 scientists conducting strategic basic research on the molecular mechanisms that are responsible for the functioning of the human body, plants, and micro-organisms. Through a partnership with four Flemish universities - Ghent University, the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, the University of Antwerp, and the Vrije Universiteit Brussel − and a solid funding program, VIB unites the forces of 72 research groups in a single institute. Through its technology transfer activities, VIB strives to convert the research results into products for the benefit of consumers and patients. VIB develops and disseminates a wide range of scientifically substantiated information about all aspects of biotechnology. For more information, please visit www.vib.be

3. About K.U.Leuven

The University of Leuven is Belgium's largest university and one of the oldest universities in Europe, founded in 1425. It is a comprehensive university with 14 faculties, with a long tradition of high-quality interdisciplinary research and teaching. The University of Leuven has over 33,000 students (12 percent international) and over 17,000 staff members (8,600 in the various university departments and 8,700 at UZ Leuven, the university hospital). For more information, please visit www.kuleuven.be

4. About the Motor Neurone Disease (MND) Association

The MND Association is a leader in the funding and promotion of cutting-edge MND research both within the UK and across the world. The Association's vision is a world free of MND and is committed to funding the highest quality research in the UK and beyond. The MND Association works to enable everyone with MND to receive the best care, achieve the highest quality of life and to die with dignity. The MND Association is the only national charity in England, Wales and Northern Ireland dedicated to people with MND.Registered Charity No 294354. For further information, please visit www.mndassociation.org

 

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