month=01
year=2010
14 January 2010
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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14 JANUARY 2010
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Lipoxen
plc
(‘Lipoxen’ or ‘the Company’)
Lipoxen’s Bio-Polymer
Technology Granted Important US Patent
- Extends life of the use of this natural polymer
and extends cover in the World’s largest market -
Lipoxen plc (AIM: LPX), a
bio-pharmaceutical company specialising in the development of high-value
differentiated biologicals, vaccines and siRNA delivery, announces today that
it has been granted a new US patent for its PolyXen technology. This technology is based on polysialic
acid (PSA), (a polymer occurring naturally in humans) which extends a protein’s
active life, is biodegradable, non-immunogenic and non-toxic, and which is also
therefore expected to avoid the toxicity attributed to polyethylene glycol in
PEGylated protein drug candidates.
Polysialylation
of therapeutic proteins i.e. the attachment of PSA on these molecules, is often
hampered by random attachment of PSA molecules onto the protein. As a result,
attached PSA can mask the active site of the therapeutic. In many cases,
masking of activity can lead to complete loss of the protein's therapeutic
function.
To avoid
such problems, polysialylation is targeted on a specific domain on the protein,
away from the active site. To that end, a specific domain is created by the
introduction of a cysteine on the protein molecule (away from the active site)
through protein engineering.
The US
granted patent refers to the preparation of the PSA-linker-SH (cysteine)-protein
construct. It has been shown that a number of therapeutic proteins which have
been polysialylated, retain most of their activity as well as all the
advantages of polysialylation i.e. improved drug performance and longer
circulation time of the drug in the body.
In
summary, the patent identifies that polysialylation, Lipoxen's PolyXen
platform, is more effective in improving the therapeutic function of protein
drugs.
Commenting
on the patent grant, M. Scott Maguire, CEO of Lipoxen, said: “The new patent grant on this natural polymer which extends the active
life of protein enhances our patent position in the world’s largest
pharmaceutical market and further supports our drive to become a leading
innovator within the next generation biologic drug space.
Lipoxen has
two potential billion dollar block-buster products in clinical development,
SuliXen, a long acting insulin and ErepoXen, a long-acting erythropoietin (EPO)
both of which are based on this PolyXen technology. We are confident that this
new patent will strengthen our commercial position as well as our capability to
collaborate with partners.”
- Ends -
For further information please contact:
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Lipoxen plc
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+44 (0)20 7389 5015
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M. Scott Maguire, Chief Executive Officer
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Singer Capital
Markets (nominated adviser)
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+44 (0)20 3205 7500
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Jeff Keating, Claes Spång
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Noble &
Company
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+44 (0)20 7763 2200
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James Bromhead, Sam Reynolds
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Buchanan
Communications
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+44 (0)20 7466 5000
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Lisa Baderoon, Catherine Breen
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Notes for Editors
About Lipoxen
Lipoxen plc is a biopharmaceutical
company focused on the development of new and improved biologic drugs and
vaccines. Lipoxen has three proprietary
patented technology platforms:
1) PolyXen – for
extending the efficacy and half life of biologic drugs
2) ImuXen – for creating new
vaccines and improving existing vaccines
3) SiRNAblate – for the
delivery of siRNA
Lipoxen’s technology is
designed to improve the efficacy, safety, stability, biological half-life and
immunologic characteristics of its products.
Lipoxen has multiple drug
and vaccine programmes in development.
Two products are in clinical development, SuliXen, a long acting insulin
and ErepoXen, a long-acting erythropoietin (EPO). Lipoxen’s preclinical
pipeline includes vaccines against HIV, influenza and malaria and an exclusive
license deal with Baxter Healthcare for Factor VIII
The Company has a
low-risk business model and out-licenses its proprietary technologies to
biopharmaceutical companies that have strong manufacturing and marketing
capabilities. Lipoxen currently has
commercial agreements with some of the world's leading biotechnology and
pharmaceutical companies including Baxter, Schering-Plough, the Serum Institute
of India Limited, Genentech, Amgen and Genzyme.
Furthermore, Baxter, the Company’s third largest shareholder, and
management led the £2.9 million fundraising that the Company announced in May
2009 .
Lipoxen, which was
founded in 1997, now trades on the AIM Market of the London Stock Exchange
under the ticker symbol LPX. More information can be found at the Company’s
website: www.lipoxen.com.