17th
March 2006: MNLpharma announces collaborative project to develop
controlled-release, temperature stable vaccines
MNLpharma Ltd (MNL) announces today that, in conjunction with Cambridge
BioStability Ltd (CBL) and University of Cambridge, it has received a
major grant award from the DTI to develop controlled-release nanoparticle
vaccines. The DTI is providing a grant of £1.5 million over three years.
The project partners are providing matching funds, bringing the total
investment in the programme will be £3.1 million.
The overall aim of the project is to produce a room-temperature stable,
controlled-release vaccine technology. The initial antigens to be tested
as part of the project will be hepatitis B, anthrax and tetanus. The
controlled release technology is being designed to eliminate the need for
vaccine booster doses, the subsequent doses required in many courses of
vaccination and a common cause of poor compliance in immunisation.
Room-temperature stable vaccines would remove the requirement for cold
storage, which currently results in the loss of product through cold-chain
disruption during shipping – a particular problem when transporting and
storing vaccines in the developing world.
MNL’s role in the project will be to develop an imino sugar adjuvant for
incorporation into the products to enhance the immune response to the
controlled release vaccines. These small sugar–like molecules are highly
effective at bolstering an immune response. Specifically, imino sugars act
on dendritic cells to induce a cytokine-mediated response. Further
advantages of imino sugars are their size and stability, which make them
ideal for inclusion in a room-temperature stable and controlled-release
formulation. In addition they are relatively simple and inexpensive to
manufacture and have been found to be non-toxic in preclinical studies, so
have the potential to be safe for use in childhood vaccines.
Adjuvants that act on dendritic cells are already in development at such
companies as Corixa (GSK), Coley Pharmaceuticals and Novartis. These
adjuvants, act on toll-like receptors of dendritic cells. MNL’s imino
sugar adjuvants also act on dendritic cells but have an alternative
mechanism of action. As simple small molecules the imino sugars could have
significant advantages over current adjuvants in development.
MNL will also be managing the immunology and toxicology for the project.
Hadyn Parry, CEO of MNLpharma said, “A vaccine technology that uses CBL’s
nanoparticles to control the release of the vaccine and MNL’s imino sugar
adjuvants to optimise the immune response has great potential. If the
project is successful the technology will reach a stage where it can be
licensed to the major vaccine manufacturers for clinical evaluation with
specific human vaccines. Another benefit for MNL is that the data
generated from this project should generate licensing opportunities for
our lead adjuvant.”
Dr Bruce Roser, Chief Scientific Adviser to Cambridge BioStability and
leader of the project, commented, “We are delighted to be working with
MNLpharma to develop an effective, controlled-release vaccine technology.
MNL has a selection of promising imino sugar adjuvants that will add value
to the product and the company will bring extensive pre-clinical expertise
to the toxicological and immunological studies.”
Minister for Science and Innovation, Lord Sainsbury, said: “The Technology
Strategy helps develop competitive advantage for British businesses so
they can be at the cutting edge of the global knowledge-based economy.
“It is about encouraging collaboration in order that companies can invest
for the future and develop new world-beating products.
“I congratulate the project participants and wish them every success.”
-ENDS-
For more information, please contact:
Northbank Communications
Adam Michael / Gemma Bradley
T: +44 (0)207 886 8150
a.michael@northbankcommunications.com
g.bradley@northbankcommunications.com
MNLpharma
Hadyn Parry, CEO
T: +44 (0)197 082 3201
hadyn.parry@mnlpharma.com
Notes to Editors:
About MNLpharma (www.mnlpharma.com )
MNLpharma (‘MNL’) is a private UK drug discovery and development company
focused on the exploitation of imino sugar therapeutics for the prevention
and treatment of disease. The company’s in-house programmes focus on
cancer, and infectious diseases. MNLpharma has discovery and development
programmes in the areas of immunomodulation and direct acting antivirals
with a number of compounds showing promise against several key viral
pathogens where effective treatments are currently lacking.
MNLpharma’s lead compound (MNLP462a) is an imino sugar immunomodulator
which has demonstrated impressive protective and therapeutic effects in in
vivo cancer models. As a broad spectrum immunotherapeutic MNLP462a is
anticipated to be developed for use in a wide range of diseases including
infection and as such has great commercial value and potential. This
candidate will enter the clinic in 2006.
In addition to imino sugars, the company has a unique chemistry platform
of pure, novel, drug-like natural compounds called Phytopure™. This
collection is being exploited in a limited number of highly targeted
collaborations. Whilst its own imino sugar therapeutics are being
developed in-house, MNLpharma seeks to exploit Phytopure™ through a
limited number of alliances with companies that are leaders in specific
fields.
About Cambridge Biostability (www.biostability.com)
Cambridge Biostability Limited based in Cambridge, UK, is a vaccine
development company which focuses on the development of vaccines for use
in developing countries and on biodefence. It has developed technology,
which reformulates existing vaccines into ready-to-inject stable liquids
requiring no refrigeration or reconstitution.
The company has a portfolio of patents and is entering into a number of
agreements to licence out its technology. It has also licensed in patents
relating to an E coli vaccine (HolaVax) from Acambis plc.
