Medicago begins human clinical testing with its avian flu pandemic vaccine
"This first human study with our lead vaccine candidate confirms Medicago's development as a clinical stage company," said Louis P. Vézina, Chief Scientific Officer of Medicago. "This is an important step for our H5N1 vaccine candidate, which has the potential to be highly effective, cross-protective, less expensive and faster to produce than current influenza vaccines."
About Medicago's pandemic flu vaccine candidate
Medicago's H5N1 vaccine candidate was formulated to protect against the avian influenza virus. It is manufactured in Nicotiana benthamiana, a relative of the tobacco plant, using the Company's proprietary VLP technology. VLPs have several advantages over traditional influenza vaccines. They resemble the virus, allowing them to be recognized readily by the body's immune system, however, they lack the core genetic material making them non-infectious and unable to replicate. Medicago's VLP-based vaccine has shown in preclinical studies it can provide cross- protection against different strains of avian flu, such as the Vietnam and
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.
Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release
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For further information: Medicago, Inc., Andy Sheldon, President and CEO, (418) 658-9393; Medicago Inc., Arianna Vanin, Director, Investor Relations, (514) 796-3993
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