QUEBEC CITY, Nov. 4 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - Medicago Inc. , a biotechnology company focused on developing highly effective and affordable vaccines based on proprietary manufacturing technologies and Virus-Like Particles (VLPs), today announced that it received an invitation from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to present at the Global Health Security Initiative Workshop (GHSI) on November 5, 2009 at 2:40 pm (EST) at the Fairfax at Embassy Row Hotel, Washington, D.C. During a session entitled Diagnostics and Vaccine Development Platforms, Medicago will discuss its ability to potentially improve the speed, capacity and cost of influenza vaccine production with its proprietary plant-based manufacturing platform and VLP technology.
The GHSI is an international, high-level forum for like-minded countries to discuss public health preparedness for chemical, biological, and radiological/nuclear (CBRN) threats as well as pandemic influenza. Amongst the GHSI policy priorities, the GHSI partners agreed on the need to build a global infrastructure for medical countermeasures (MCM). This year’s workshop will provide an international opportunity for academia and industry partners to discuss research and development programs, products and new technologies as a first step towards coordinating preparedness efforts.
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.
CONTACT: Medicago, Inc., Andy Sheldon, President and CEO, (418) 658-9393;
Medicago Inc., Arianna Vanin, Director, Investor Relations, (514) 796-3993
