Fraunhofer Center Receives $2.7 Million Grant From Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation To Develop Vaccine Technology

PLYMOUTH, Mich., Dec. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- The Fraunhofer USA Center for Molecular Biotechnology ("Fraunhofer CMB"), a not-for-profit research organization, received a $2.7 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to develop a novel vaccine technology that could enable scalable, time efficient and cost-effective production of influenza vaccines. The technology, AIPwLV(TM) Platform, relies on a uniquely designed vector system and can be applied as a broad-based platform technology for producing life- saving vaccines in non-genetically modified plants.

The $2.7 million grant will support Fraunhofer CMB's development of subunit vaccines against influenza using the AIPwLV(TM) Platform. Integrated BioPharma, Inc. , which holds the rights to the Fraunhofer CMB technology, has agreed to make the AIPwLV(TM) Platform available for the development and production of specific vaccines for developing countries on a not-for-profit basis.

"The support we are receiving from the Gates Foundation and INB will significantly expedite our development of these much-needed vaccines," said Dr. Vidadi Yusibov, Executive Director of CMB. "We expect the AIPwLV(TM) Platform, which uses simple, non-genetically-altered plants as a medium for the rapid production of target antigens, to address some of the concerns affecting current vaccine technologies. These concerns include scalability, cost, and time efficiency."

"The technology developed by Fraunhofer CMB and INB over the last three years could help address a critical challenge in global health -- expanding access to cost-effective vaccines in developing countries," said Douglas Holtzman, Senior Program Officer for Infectious Diseases at the Gates Foundation.

Influenza

Type H5N1 avian influenza virus, the cause of recent epidemics in poultry in Asia is spreading throughout the globe, increasing the potential for outbreaks in human populations and concerns about an influenza pandemic. The major defense against influenza is vaccination. Global capacity for influenza vaccine production is insufficient to supply vaccine for the world's population, and this shortfall will be particularly felt in developing countries that lack vaccine-manufacturing infrastructure. Thus, there is a pressing need for alternative approaches that will address some of the limitations of the current vaccine technology, including speed of manufacturing. The ultimate goal of this project is to validate and implement a technology that could greatly increase the world's vaccine manufacturing capacity.

About Fraunhofer USA Center for Molecular Biotechnology (CMB)

Fraunhofer USA Center for Molecular Biotechnology was established in July 2001 as partnership between the Fraunhofer Society in Germany and the State of Delaware. CMB is part of Fraunhofer USA, Inc., a non-profit organization that has five research Centers in the United States. CMB is located at the Delaware Technology Park in Newark, Delaware and is a unique institution conducting research in the area of plant biotechnology, developing cutting edge technologies to assist the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of human and animal diseases. The Center houses individuals with expertise and excellence in plant virology, pathology, molecular biology, immunology, vaccinology, protein engineering, and biochemistry.

About Integrated BioPharma, Inc. (INB)

Integrated BioPharma presently serves the varied needs of the health care industry through its Nutraceutical business, which creates, develops, manufactures and markets health products worldwide; its Biotechnology business, which uses its patented plant-based technology to produce vaccines and therapeutic antibodies; and its Pharmaceutical business, which operates contract research and cGMP manufacturing facilities. Further information is available at http://www.iBioPharma.com .

Statements included in this release related to Integrated BioPharma, Inc. may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties such as competitive factors, technological development, market demand, and the Company's ability to obtain new contracts and accurately estimate net revenues due to variability in size, scope and duration of projects. Further information on potential risk factors that could affect the Company's financial results can be found in the company's Reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Contact: Frances Roland-Lee at froland@fraunhofer.org , 734/354-4333 or Vidadi Yusibov at vyusibov@fraunhofer-cmb.org

Fraunhofer USA Center for Molecular Biotechnology

CONTACT: Frances Roland-Lee, +1-734-354-4333, froland@fraunhofer.org , orVidadi Yusibov, vyusibov@fraunhofer-cmb.org , both of Fraunhofer USA

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