TORONTO, June 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - Microbix Biosystems Inc. announced today that an independent laboratory has confirmed that the Company's proprietary technology delivers a two-fold increase in the yield of influenza virus from eggs.
"This demonstrates that our Vaccine Technology holds the promise of significantly increasing global production of influenza vaccines, as well as speeding up development of vaccines in response to new flu strains - both important factors in combating possible future pandemics," said Microbix President and CEO William J. Gastle.
Microbix is now moving to commercial scale-up of the process in a licensed flu vaccine facility, and will be discussing collaboration with interested vaccine manufacturers.
The independent evaluation was conducted by Dr. Todd Hatchette, the Director of Virology and Immunology at the Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Dr. Hatchette and his team found that application of Microbix' technology doubled the amount of human influenza virus recovered.
Having confirmed Microbix' original work, the studies have now switched focus to the avian flu viruses, including the H5N1 vaccine strain. It was recently reported that the H5N1 candidate vaccine virus required a greater than normal amount of virus in a vaccine format to obtain the required clinical response.
Annual global vaccine production capacity is currently only about 300 million doses, far short of any potential pandemic requirement.
"The independent evaluation should send a signal to the industry, and also to governments, that this technology is important and needs to be commercialized," said Gastle.
The QEII Health Sciences Centre is the largest academic health sciences complex in Eastern Canada. Dr. Hatchette, as Director of Virology at the QEII centre, brings his experience in human influenza epidemiology to the evaluation. He also studied at St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital, in Memphis, Tennessee, working on influenza virus infection processes, including potential pandemic viruses.
Microbix specializes in developing proprietary biological technologies and commercializing them through global partners. The Company has intellectual property in large market biotherapeutic drugs, vaccine technologies and animal reproduction technologies. Established in 1988, Microbix is headquartered in Toronto.
This press release contains forward-looking statements, which are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements including the risk associated with inability for third parties to replicate the laboratory results, limited application of laboratory results to commercialization of the Vaccine Technology such as vaccine manufacturers being unable to make changes to their production process or not realizing a yield that, in their opinion, makes the process economical, among others. These forward-looking statements represent the Company's judgment as of the date of this press release. The Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements.
Microbix Biosystems Inc.CONTACT: visit www.microbix.com or contact: William J. Gastle, Presidentand CEO, (416) 234-1624 x 230