SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Inovio Biomedical Corporation (NYSE Amex: INO), a leader in DNA vaccine
design, development and delivery, announced that Dr. David B. Weiner,
Chairman of Inovio’s Scientific Advisory Board, highlighted advances in
electroporation-delivered SynCon™ DNA vaccines compared to other leading
vaccine technologies at the AIDS Vaccine 2009 Conference being held this
week in Paris, France.
Dr. Weiner, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, presented
pre-clinical data showing significantly higher levels of immune
responses induced by Inovio’s DNA vaccines compared to those induced by
the recombinant adenovirus serotype 5 (Ad5) vector. This study was led
by Professor David B. Weiner’s team at the University of Pennsylvania
and included collaborators from Inovio and Merck. Inovio and its
collaborators previously reported that PENNVAX™ DNA vaccines delivered
using electroporation induced dramatic increases in T-cell and
antibody-based immune responses as well as improved control of viral
replication following a simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) challenge.
The SIV model in non-human primates is considered to be the most
relevant model for studying HIV infection in humans. Historically,
recombinant Ad5 vector has been shown to be one of the most potent viral
vectors for vaccines. This collaborative study was the first to directly
compare a DNA plasmid-electroporation platform with a recombinant Ad5
vector in an SIV model in non-human primates. The study results showed
consistent five to 10-fold enhancements of T-cell based immune responses
following DNA plasmid-electroporation vaccination compared to the Ad5
vaccination.
Dr. Weiner also discussed in his presentation Inovio’s novel SynCon™
technology, which enables the company to design DNA-based vaccines with
the potential to protect against newly emergent, unknown strains of
pathogens such as HIV and influenza. Inovio’s SynCon™ PENNVAX™-B HIV
vaccine, which targets clade B HIV strains that exist primarily in
developed countries, has entered human clinical trials with the HIV
Vaccines Trial Network under the HVTN-080 protocol. This vaccine was
developed with significant funding from, and in close collaboration
with, the NIH/NIAID/DAIDS.
Moreover, Dr. Weiner further presented recently announced clinical
immunology data from the low dose cohort of Inovio’s therapeutic DNA
vaccine against cervical cancer. He noted that the induction of strong
cellular and antibody responses provided the first significant and
robust demonstration of the potential of Inovio’s DNA vaccine approach
and shared his belief that this may bode well not only for the cervical
cancer and HIV vaccine trials now underway, but also for other product
candidates being developed using its DNA vaccine development platform.
Dr. J. Joseph Kim, president & CEO of Inovio, said: “We believe the
comparative performance of our electroporation-based DNA vaccine
products relative to other vaccination methods is proving to be
exceptional. Based on the significant immune responses achieved in the
first, low-dose group of our therapeutic cervical cancer clinical study,
we look forward to the results of the second and third dose groups of
this study and results from the PENNVAX™-B preventive HIV vaccine study.
The development of these vaccines could transform the lives of hundreds
of millions of people around the world. These are complex scientific
challenges and we are pleased that results to-date are showing the
potential of these programs.”
Organized in Paris in 2000, the AIDS Vaccine Conference has become one
of the most important annual events for the exchange of scientific
information relating to HIV vaccine research and development.
About Inovio Biomedical Corporation
Inovio Biomedical is focused on the design, development, and delivery of
a new generation of vaccines, called DNA vaccines, to prevent and treat
cancers and infectious diseases. The company’s SynCon™ technology
enables the design of DNA-based vaccines capable of protecting against
both known and new, unknown strains of pathogens such as influenza.
Inovio’s proprietary electroporation-based DNA vaccine delivery
technology has been shown by initial human data to safely and
significantly increase gene expression and immune responses. Inovio’s
clinical programs include HPV/cervical cancer (therapeutic) and HIV
vaccines. An IND has been filed for an avian influenza vaccine. Inovio
is developing its universal and avian influenza vaccines in
collaboration with scientists from the University of Pennsylvania, the
National Microbiology Laboratory of the Public Health Agency of Canada,
and the NIH’s Vaccine Research Center. Other partners and collaborators
include Merck, Tripep, University of Southampton, National Cancer
Institute, and HIV Vaccines Trial Network. More information is available
at www.inovio.com.
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements
relating to, among other things, our plans to develop
electroporation-based drug and gene delivery technologies and DNA
vaccines. Actual events or results may differ from the expectations set
forth herein as a result of a number of factors, including uncertainties
inherent in clinical trials and product development programs, including
but not limited to the fact that pre-clinical and clinical results
referenced in this release may not be indicative of results achievable
in other trials or for other indications, that results from one study
may not necessarily be reflected or supported by the results of other
similar studies, that results from an animal study may not be indicative
of results achievable in human studies, that clinical
testing is expensive and can take many years to complete, that the
outcome of any clinical trial is uncertain and failure can occur at any
time during the clinical trial process, and that our electroporation
technology and DNA vaccines may fail to show the desired safety and
efficacy traits in clinical trials; the availability of funding; the
ability to manufacture vaccine candidates; the availability or potential
availability of alternative therapies or treatments for the conditions
targeted by us or our collaborators, including alternatives that may be
more efficacious or cost-effective than any therapy or treatment that we
and our collaborators hope to develop; whether our proprietary rights
are enforceable or defensible or infringe or allegedly infringe on
rights of others or can withstand claims of invalidity; the impact of
government healthcare proposals and other factors set forth in our
Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2008, our
Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended June 30, 2009, and other
regulatory filings from time to time. There can be no assurance that any
product in Inovio’s pipeline will be successfully developed or
manufactured, that final results of clinical studies will be supportive
of regulatory approvals required to market licensed products, or that
any of the forward-looking information provided herein will be proven
accurate.
Contacts
Investors:
Inovio Biomedical
Bernie Hertel, 858-410-3101
or
Media:
Richardson
& Associates
Jeff Richardson, 805-491-8313