QUEBEC CITY, March 17 /CNW/ - Medicago Inc. (TSX-V: MDG), a biotechnology
company focused on developing highly effective and affordable vaccines based
on proprietary manufacturing technologies and Virus-Like Particles, today
announced that it has formed a new Scientific Advisory Council ("SAC") to
provide the Company with scientific guidance on its ongoing research and
development of VLP vaccines. The members of Medicago's SAC are: Dr. Cecil
Czerkinsky, Dr. Ronald Ellis, Dr. Myron Levine, Dr. Alf A. Lindberg, Dr. Eric
Quéméneur, Dr. Pierre Tambourin, Dr. Louis P. Vézina and Dr. Brian Ward.
"We are privileged to have this accomplished group of thought leaders in
the fields of immunology and vaccines join our Scientific Advisory Council,"
said Louis P. Vézina, Chief Scientific Officer and Vice-President of R&D of
Medicago. "These advisors will provide valuable expertise and guide us in our
strategic initiatives to improve and adapt our proprietary technology
platforms for additional applications, such as for the production of
antibodies, biosimilars and enzymes for biofuels."
Dr. Cecil Czerkinsky has served as Deputy Director-General for Laboratory
Sciences at the International Vaccine Institute since 2005. He was previously
Director of the Division of Mucosal Immunology and Vaccinology at INSERM
(France). Dr. Czerkinsky invented the ELISPOT, a method for monitoring immune
responses in humans and animals which is now used in laboratories worldwide,
and has more than 130 scientific peer-reviewed publications in immunology and
vaccinology. He is a co-founder of several biotechnology companies, including
Maxim Pharmaceuticals Inc., a U.S. biopharmaceutical firm devoted to the
development of vaccines and therapeutic drugs.
Dr. Ronald Ellis is Senior Vice President and Chief Technological Officer
of NasVax. He has over 25 years of scientific and executive R&D experience for
vaccines and biological products in biotechnology/pharmaceutical companies,
including Merck, Astra BioChem Pharma, Shire, ID Biomedical and AVANT. He has
championed or led R&D efforts on a wide range of viral and bacterial vaccines
from discovery or in-licensure through development and on to product launch.
These include several licensed vaccines -- those for human papilloma virus,
rotavirus, varicella, hepatitis B, and Haemophilus influenzae type b. He has
(co) authored over 100 publications and 35 review articles mostly in the field
of vaccines, and is editor/coeditor of seven books on vaccines. He made over
100 invited presentations, chaired many sessions at international scientific
conferences and served on international committees for vaccine R&D. He is
founding Editor-in-Chief of the peer-reviewed indexed journal Human Vaccines
launched in 2005.
Dr. Myron Levine is the Director of the Center for Vaccine Development at
the University of Maryland School of Medicine. He has been a pioneer in
mucosal immunization and vaccine trials in developing countries. Dr. Levine
sits on the editorial board of several major research journals, is a
consultant to many organizations including the World Health Organization, NIH
and the U.S. Department of Defense among others. He is the recipient of many
honours, including the Albert B. Sabin Gold Medal Award for lifetime
achievement in the area of vaccine development and implementation, and
membership in the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences,
USA. Dr. Levine has authored and co-authored 482 scientific articles and is
senior editor of New Generation Vaccines.
Dr. Alf A. Lindberg has substantial experience in vaccines, immunotherapy
and immunology. He was Chief Scientific Officer and Head of R&D at Wyeth
Lederle Vaccines (USA) and Executive Vice-President of R&D at Aventis Pasteur
(France). Dr. Lindberg has authored more than 300 scientific articles in
microbiology, immunology and vaccines. From 1985 to 1993 he was a member of
the Nobel Committee. Today he is CEO of Nobel Web AB, the official website of
the Nobel Foundation, and a member of the board of Catella Health Care AB,
Eurocine AB and IscoNova AB in Sweden, Lytix Biopharma AS in Norway, Pharmexa
AS in Denmark and Proteome Sciences Ltd in the UK.
Dr. Eric Quéméneur is the Research Director and Head of the Biochemistry
and Nuclear Toxicology Research Unit at CEA - a French government-funded
technological research organisation, and Deputy-director of the Institute of
Biotechnology & Environmental Biology. Dr. Quéméneur is an expert in protein
research and engineering, chemistry for toxicology, radiobiology, diagnostics
and biotechnologies. Dr. Quéméneur has over 70 papers in international
peer-reviewed journals.
Dr. Pierre Tambourin has been Chief Executive of Genopole(R) in Evry
since 1998 and is Vice-President of the world class competitiveness cluster
Medicen Paris Region. He also chaired the Executive board of the Ecole Normale
Supérieure of Cachan. From 1993 to 1997, Pierre Tambourin managed the Life
Sciences Department of the CNRS and from 1989 to 1992, the Research Department
of the Institut Curie. Mr. Tambourin has also presided the Council on
Education for Public Health (2003-2005) and the Scientific Council of the
institute National de la Recherche (1998-2003). Over the past 20 years he has
been a board member of over 25 scientific associations.
Dr. Louis P. Vézina will act as Chair of the SAC. He is a co-founder,
Chief Scientific Officer of Medicago and has led the development of the
Company's technological platforms since its inception. Dr Vézina has an
international reputation of pioneer in the development of production systems
for recombinant therapeutic and vaccinal proteins. Prior to co-founding
Medicago, Dr. Vézina was a researcher at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
(Sainte-Foy, Canada) for 15 years, where he gained management experience by
leading research teams and serving as Departmental Head.
Dr. Brian Ward is a Professor of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology at
McGill University. He is the past-Chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases
and currently serves as the Associate Director of the Research Institute of
the McGill University Health Center (Fundamental Science). He is also
Associate Directory of the McGill Center for Tropical Diseases and Director of
the National Reference Center for Parasitology, an external laboratory of the
National Microbiology Laboratory. Dr. Ward has served or continues to serve on
a number of national and international advisory committees in the areas of
vaccine development, parasitology and international health.
About Medicago
Medicago is committed to provide highly effective and affordable vaccines
based on proprietary Virus-Like Particle (VLP) and manufacturing technologies.
Medicago is developing VLP vaccines to protect against H5N1 pandemic
influenza, using a transient expression system which produces recombinant
vaccine antigens in non-transgenic plants. This technology has potential to
offer advantages of speed and cost over competitive technologies. It could
deliver a vaccine for testing in about a month after the identification and
reception of genetic sequences from a pandemic strain. This production time
frame has the potential to allow vaccination of the population before the
first wave of a pandemic strikes and to supply large volumes of vaccine
antigens to the world market. Additional information about Medicago is
available at www.medicago.com.
Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements which reflect
Medicago's current expectations regarding future events. The forward-looking
statements involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ
materially from those projected herein. Medicago disclaims any obligation to
update these forward-looking statements.The TSX Venture Exchange assumes no responsibility for the content or
accuracy of this press release%SEDAR: 00023641EF
For further information: Medicago, Inc., Andy Sheldon, President and
CEO, (418) 658-9393; Medicago Inc., Arianna Vanin, Director, Investor
Relations, (514) 796-3993
