IRVING, Texas, April 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Carrington Laboratories, Inc. today announced that Dr. Yawei Ni will make a presentation entitled “An Inactivated Influenza Whole Virion Nasal Powder Vaccine Using GelVac(TM) Powder Delivery System” in the Innovation Corridor on Monday, April 10, 2006. In addition, Kenneth (Bill) Yates, D.V.M., president of Carrington’s subsidiary DelSite Biotechnologies, Inc., will present the companies’ technologies at the BIO 2006 Annual International Convention Business Forum on Tuesday, April 11, 2006 in Chicago, Illinois.
An abstract of Dr. Ni’s data will be available Tuesday, April 11, 2006 on DelSite’s website at http://www.delsite.com/newfiles/bio_ni_april_06.html .
Development of the GelVac nasal powder vaccine delivery system is partially supported by an SBIR biodefense grant and a $6 million NIH/NIAID preclinical development grant for H5N1 avian influenza.
About GelVac(TM) Nasal Powder Influenza Vaccine
DelSite’s GelVac(TM) avian flu vaccine is uniquely suited to meeting the challenges of a pandemic:
* It is stable at room temperature, the vaccine requires no refrigeration for shipping or prolonged storage -- facilitating both stock-piling and rapid distribution. * The powder is easily administered -- and could be self-administered, if necessitated by an overwhelmed health care system. * The powder gels on contact with nasal fluid, prolonging the nasal residence time and sustaining the antigen release potentially allowing for an enhanced protection.
Nasally administered vaccines form a first-line of immune defense for the upper respiratory system, a common entry point for influenza virus, as well as prompting the body’s normal systemic immune response.
About Carrington
Carrington Laboratories, Inc. is an ISO 9001-certified, research-based biopharmaceutical company currently utilizing naturally-occurring complex carbohydrates to:
* manufacture and market products for mucositis, radiation dermatitis, wound and oral care; * manufacture and market the nutraceutical and cosmetic raw materials Manapol(R) and Hydrapol(TM); and, * market consumer products under various brands. About DelSite
DelSite Biotechnologies, Inc. was formed based on discoveries at Carrington Laboratories, Inc., and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Carrington. DelSite Biotechnologies is a drug delivery and biotechnology company established to provide the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries with novel delivery solutions for vaccines and therapeutic agents.
About GelVac(TM) Delivery System
The GelVac system is a proprietary nasal powder vaccine delivery system, based on the GelSite(R) polymer, the primary functional ingredient. Dry powder formulations provide several potential advantages including better stability, room temperature storage and no need for mercury or other preservatives. Nasal immunization induces both systemic and mucosal immune responses.
About GelSite(R) Polymer
Carrington’s patented GelSite polymer, extracted and purified from the Aloe vera plant, is a member of a family of carbohydrates that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has classified as “Generally Regarded As Safe” (GRAS). It is water-based and capable of changing from a solid or liquid into a gel upon contact with body fluid -- a process called in situ gelation -- making possible the sustained release of vaccines and other pharmaceuticals over prolonged periods of time.
Certain statements in this release concerning Carrington may be forward- looking. Actual events will be dependent upon a number of factors and risks including, but not limited to: subsequent changes in plans by the Company’s management; delays or problems in formulation, manufacturing, distribution, production and/or launch of new finished products; changes in the regulatory process; changes in market trends; and a number of other factors and risks described from time to time in the Company’s filings with the Securities & Exchange Commission, including the Form 10-K on March 31, 2006.
Carrington Laboratories, Inc.
CONTACT: Carlton E. Turner, CEO and President of Carrington Laboratories,Inc., +1-972-518-1300
