Avigen Exclusively Licenses All Rights From Co-Inventor, Stanford University, Including Those That May Be Useful in Treating AIDS, Cancer, and Autoimmune Diseases
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Wednesday June 20 8:03am
ALAMEDA, Calif., June 20 /PRNewswire/
-- Avigen, Inc. (Nasdaq: AVGN) today announced another important addition
to its growing adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector patent portfolio with
the issuance of United States Patent No. 6,242,426, which covers innovative
ways of developing vaccines against a wide variety of diseases, including
AIDS and cancer. The new approach takes advantage of the many unique features
of AAV vectors, including a natural ability to deliver genes to many cell
types, and an excellent safety profile. The vectors are also high stable,
allowing them to be manufactured, stored and handled like more traditional
pharmaceutical products.
Avigen also today announced the signing
of a license with Stanford University giving Avigen exclusive rights to
commercialize the new technology covered by the patent.
As described in the patent, Avigen
scientists, in collaboration with researchers at Stanford, pioneered the
use of AAV vectors as a delivery vehicle for certain proteins known as
antigens. Antigens prime the immune system to fight off foreign invaders
such as viruses and bacteria, and also stimulate the immune system to destroy
cancer cells. Working like a traditional vaccine, the technology enables
AAV vectors to be engineered with genes that code for antigens. A number
of diseases can potentially be targeted using the new technology including
AIDS and other infectious diseases, cancers (such as the skin cancer melanoma),
and heart disease (when the bacterium chlamydia or other microorganisms
are involved in the disease).
The AAV technology may also be used
to deliver antigens that dampen the immune system: this process is called
"immune tolerance." This approach may be desirable for treating diseases
where the body's own immune system is involved in aiding or causing the
disease. Three examples of these types of diseases are multiple sclerosis,
rheumatoid arthritis, and Lou Gehrig's disease. Allergies and asthma also
fit into this category.
The data supported multiple routes
of administration, which is consistent with previous experiments conducted
by Avigen. Avigen's prior work has demonstrated that more than one route
of administration can be effective for delivering rAAV vectors into the
body enabling them to express a protein designed to treat a certain disease.
A notable example of this is Avigen's work on hemophilia. This work has
led to Avigen's expanding patent portfolio covering several routes of administration
including injections into muscle and veins. The patent claims presented
in U. S. Patent No. 6,242,426, therefore, are not limited to any one delivery
method.
"This represents an exciting possibility
to develop and apply Avigen's core technology to areas such as autoimmune
disorders, cancer, inflammatory diseases, and allergies," said Kenneth
G. Chahine, Ph.D., J.D., Vice President of Business Development and Intellectual
Property.
Avigen's AAV patent portfolio now
includes 22 issued and licensed patents with extensive coverage of AAV
as a gene delivery vehicle and its use in various inherited and acquired
disorders. An additional 36 AAV patent applications are pending in the
United States and over 300 AAV patent applications are pending in international
markets. "We have built an impressive AAV patent portfolio," added Dr.
Chahine. "In addition to patents protecting our proprietary virus-free
manufacturing process, Avigen now has patents relating to the use of AAV
vectors in treating disease indications such as hemophilia A, hemophilia
B, anemia, cancer, multiple sclerosis, and lysosomal storage diseases."
Based in the San Francisco Bay area,
Avigen, Inc., is a biotechnology company involved in the development of
gene therapy products derived exclusively from AAV for the treatment of
inherited and acquired diseases. Avigen's proposed gene therapy products
are designed for in vivo administration to achieve the production of therapeutic
proteins within the body. Additional information on Avigen's proprietary
gene therapies can be found at www.avigen.com.
Note: This news release contains
forward-looking statements relating to the effect of patents issued and
licensed and the benefits that may be derived by the technology covered
by the patents. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties.
In particular, the foregoing discussion of the effect of patents issued
and licensed involves the risks that third parties may be successful in
challenging the patents, that granted claims may be held invalid or interpreted
differently by a court of law, that other patents will issue that will
block Avigen from commercializing the technology for the various diseases
listed above, that new technologies will be developed that are superior
in treating the diseases targeted by Avigen, and that the benefits that
Avigen believes can be derived from the patented technology will not be
realized due to difficulties encountered in the long and expensive process
of the development of new technologies and the cost and uncertainty in
obtaining regulatory approval for products based on such technologies.
Other risks are detailed from time to time in documents filed by Avigen
with the SEC, including Avigen's report on Form 10-K for the year ended
June 30, 2000.
Source: Avigen, Inc.
Source: PR Newswire
Contact: Thomas J. Paulson, Chief
Financial Officer of Avigen, Inc., 510-748-7150, or paulson@avigen.com