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Oxford, UK: 10 November 2005 – Oxford BioMedica (LSE: OXB), the leading gene therapy company, announced today that its Innurex programme for treating spinal cord injury was highlighted in a briefing today at the Science Media Centre in London for the Applied Genomics LINK programme. This LINK programme is supported by the UK government and provided £30 million to fund projects that accelerate the application of genomics in medicine and healthcare.
Today’s briefing and evening reception are a showcase for the outcomes of the successful Applied Genomics LINK Programme that enabled over 20 small and medium-sized enterprises to work with academic research groups to exploit genomics for healthcare applications. This programme has been jointly sponsored by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), the Medical Research Council (MRC) and the Department for Trade and Industry (DTI). The reception is designed to highlight the strength of the UK science base and innovation, including Oxford BioMedica’s Innurex programme, to parliamentarians and leading figures from industry, academia and other stakeholders including patient groups. The reception is intended to provide an opportunity for researchers, civil societies, parliamentarians, policy makers and the business sector to discuss the role of research in advancing UK healthcare.
Oxford BioMedica’s Innurex programme is designed to induce nerve repair in spinal cord injuries. The product delivers the RARß2 gene using the Company’s proprietary LentiVector® gene delivery technology. The gene causes nerve cells to ‘sprout’ new nerve fibres that have the potential to remake connections that may restore both sensation and movement to limbs. The genomics studies that are funded by the LINK programme aim to understand key biological pathways that lead to nerve regeneration following treatment with Innurex.
Innurex is being developed in collaboration with scientists at King’s College London. In September 2002, the collaboration received funding from the DTI through the Applied Genomics LINK programme. Further support was received in April 2004 from the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation who awarded a grant to the Company’s collaborators at King’s College London to pursue the study of Innurex in spinal cord injury.
Commenting on the profile given to Innurex at today’s events, Oxford BioMedica’s CEO, Professor Alan Kingsman, said: “We are very pleased that Innurex is being highlighted by the DTI and other sponsors of the LINK programme as a successful application of grant money. We have made excellent progress with Innurex in our preclinical models of spinal cord and related injuries and we are now planning its clinical development for these disorders where there are currently no effective treatment options.”
For further information, please contact:
Oxford BioMedica plc:
Professor Alan Kingsman, Chief Executive
Tel: +44 (0)1865 783 000
BBSRC Media Officer
Matt Goode
Tel: +44 (0) 1793 413299
Mobile: +44 (0) 7766 240104
City/Financial Enquiries:
Lisa Baderoon/ Mark Court/ Mary-Jane Johnson
Buchanan Communications
Tel: +44 (0)20 7466 5000
Scientific/Trade Press Enquiries:
Katja Stout/ Hannah Carter
Northbank Communications
Tel: +44 (0)20 7886 8150
Notes to editors
1. Oxford BioMedica
Oxford BioMedica (LSE: OXB) is a biopharmaceutical company specialising in the development of novel gene-based therapeutics with a focus on the areas of oncology and neurotherapy. The Company was established in 1995 as a spin out from Oxford University, and is listed on the London Stock Exchange.
Oxford BioMedica has core expertise in gene delivery, as well as in-house clinical, regulatory and manufacturing know-how. In oncology, the pipeline includes an immunotherapy and a gene therapy in multiple Phase II trials, and a preclinical targeted antibody therapy in collaboration with Wyeth. In neurotherapy, the Company’s lead product is a gene therapy for Parkinson’s disease, which is expected to enter clinical trials in 2006, and four further preclinical candidates. The Company is underpinned by over 80 patent families, which represent one of the broadest patent estates in the field.
The Company has a staff of approximately 70 split between its main facilities in Oxford and its wholly owned subsidiary, BioMedica Inc, in San Diego, California. Oxford BioMedica has corporate collaborations with Wyeth, Intervet, Sigma-Aldrich, Viragen, MolMed and Kiadis; and has licensed technology to a number of companies including Merck & Co, Biogen Idec and Pfizer.
Further information is available at www.oxfordbiomedica.co.uk
2. Applied Genomics LINK Programme
The overall objective of the Applied Genomics LINK programme was to encourage the use of genome sequence and genetic data to identify new functionalities in biological systems that are capable of exploitation in the healthcare industries. Research into project areas that will increase the understanding of the information encoded in the human genome and those of other organisms and how this relates to the actions of proteins in the context of whole cells, tissues, organisms and diseases has been included in the programme. The programme was closed to new applications in June 2004, after four years.
The Applied Genomics LINK Programme involved researchers from 17 universities and research institutions collaborating with 23 industrial partners, 21 of which were SMEs who had not been involved in such a programme before. The programme has attracted over £14M of industrial funding in addition to the matched funding from the sponsors and has lead to significant industrial developments including novel targets, tools and equipment for drug discovery, as well as valuable intellectual property.
More information about the Applied Genomics LINK Programme is available at: www.appgen.org.uk
3. BBSRC
The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) is the UK funding agency for research in the life sciences. Sponsored by Government, BBSRC annually invests around £330 million in a wide range of research that makes a significant contribution to the quality of life for UK citizens and supports a number of important industrial stakeholders including the agriculture, food, chemical, healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors. Further information is available at www.bbsrc.ac.uk
4. DTI
The DTI drives its ambition of 'prosperity for all' by working to create the best environment for business success in the UK. The DTI helps people and companies become more productive by promoting enterprise, innovation and creativity; champions UK business at home and abroad; invests heavily in world-class science and technology; protects the rights of working people and consumers; and stands up for fair and open markets in the UK, Europe and the world. Further information is available at www.dti.gov.uk
5. MRC
The Medical Research Council (MRC) is a national organisation funded by the UK tax-payer. Its business is medical research aimed at improving human health; everyone stands to benefit from the outputs. The research it supports and the scientists it trains meet the needs of the health services, the pharmaceutical and other health-related industries and the academic world. MRC has funded work which has led to some of the most significant discoveries and achievements in medicine in the UK. About half of the MRC’s expenditure of £450 million is invested in its 40 Institutes, Units and Centres. The remaining half goes in the form of grant support and training awards to individuals and teams in universities and medical schools. Further information is available at www.mrc.ac.uk
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