RNS Number : 8511F
  Lipoxen PLC
  15 October 2008
   

    Lipoxen PLC
("Lipoxen" or "the Company")


Lipoxen enters into agreement with Cambridge Biostability, University of  Cambridge and the Health Protection Agency to develop improved
vaccines 

    Successful development of modern "cold chain" free vaccine technology  promises to reduce greatly deaths from infections in the
developing world 


    London, UK, 15 October 2008 - Lipoxen PLC (AIM:LPX), a bio-pharmaceutical company specialising in the development of high value
differentiated biologicals, vaccines and oncology drugs, announces today that it has entered into a research agreement with Cambridge
Biostability Limited (CBL), the University of Cambridge and The Health Protection Agency (HPA) to develop a novel vaccine technology, which
will achieve greater efficacy and eliminate the need for 'cold-chain' distribution. 

    The need to distribute vaccines at low temperatures from manufacturing plant to patient (the 'cold chain') is one of the major reasons
that very few people in the developing world are able to receive the modern vaccines which they desperately need. According to the World
Health Organization (WHO), infectious diseases kill at least 15 million people a year and this initiative could contribute to significantly
reducing this number. This important humanitarian project is receiving funding from the Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory
Reform. 

    As a result of this research agreement the three parties will be working to create vaccine materials that are more stable, have a long
shelf-life, require fewer doses in order to be effective and overcome the cold-chain storage and distribution problem associated with
traditional vaccines. Vaccines with these novel attributes would represent a major advance, particularly for people in the developing world
who are unnecessarily dying from diseases that can be prevented through more efficient delivery and storage of vaccinations. 

    The programme uses  Lipoxen's liposomal 'Co-Delivery' technology, which combines DNA and protein forms of an antigen in liposomes, to
generate a strong immune response after a single dose together with CBL's VitRIS technology that generates thermostable formulations which
are are able to withstand both high temparatues and accidental freezing. The project will also assess the application of the VitRIS
technology and develop a suitable manufacturing process for slow-release vaccines based on antigens supplied by the HPA.

    The vaccine formulations developed as a result of this project are expected to have several advantages over conventional vaccines. These
include the ability to be stockpiled for long periods and to be more efficacious than existing vaccines. This is important as it may allow
lower doses to be administered, allowing much smaller supplies of modern vaccines (e.g. of pandemic vaccine) to be used to protect much
greater numbers of people at risk in the event of a pandemic.

    M. Scott Maguire, CEO of Lipoxen, said:

    "We are excited to be entering into this unique first-class partnership and pooling our resources and expertise with Cambridge
Biostability, Cambridge University and the HPA. 

    We are also very excited that the improved delivery and vaccine effectiveness offered by our technology is allowing us to expand our
work into addressing some of the health problems facing the developing world. Along with IAVI, the world's leading AIDS vaccine
organization, who we are collaborating with to develop an HIV vaccine, this partnership may help us address some more of the world's most
significant infectious diseases, which kill millions of people every year, and bring a longer and better quality of life to a significant
number of people in the world's developing economies

    I believe that this consortium is well-positioned to develop the next generation of vaccines which will be of immense benefit for the
developing world vaccination programs. There is little doubt that significant improvements in public health and life expectancy could be
achieved if modern vaccines could be delivered to a much greater proportion of the developing world's population." 

    - ENDS -

    Enquiries 

 Lipoxen PLC
 M. Scott Maguire, Chief Executive Officer  +44 (0)20 7691 3583 

 Teathers Limited (nominated adviser)
 Shaun Dobson / Claes Spg                   +44 (0)20 7426 9000

 Citigate Dewe Rogerson                     +44 (0)20 7638 9571
 David Dible / Heather Keohane

    Notes to Editors
    Further information on Lipoxen 

    Lipoxen PLC (AIM:LPX) is a biopharmaceutical company specializing in the development of high value differentiated biologicals, vaccines
and oncology drugs. Products currently under development include improved formulations of important biologicals such as erythropoietin
(EPO), G-CSF, insulin and Interferon-alpha. Lipoxen has two products in clinical development SuliXen, a long-acting human insulin, for Type
1 and Type 2 diabetes and ErepoXen[R], a long-acting EPO, for the treatment of anaemia in patients receiving renal dialysis. These novel
products, which are based on Lipoxen's proprietary PolyXen[R] technology, each address markets in excess of US$1 billion. 

    Lipoxen's technology is designed to improve the stability, biological half-life and immunologic characteristics of therapeutic proteins
naturally. Lipoxen has two further naturally-derived proprietary delivery technologies, ImuXen[R] and a related liposomal technology for the
formulation of cytotoxic oncology drugs, which are being developed to enhance the efficacy and safety of various vaccines such as a
multivalent Hepatitis B-E and pneumococcal vaccines, as well as a number of anti-cancer agents like paclitaxel. The Company's proprietary
delivery technologies are attracting significant interest and Lipoxen is currently co-developing products with the Serum Institute of India
Limited (one of the world's leading vaccine companies, India's largest biotech company and a major shareholder in Lipoxen) and has license
agreements in place with Baxter International and Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health, a leading animal health company.

    Lipoxen was admitted to trading on the AIM Market of the London Stock Exchange in January 2006.

    This announcement includes 'forward-looking statements' which include all statements other than statements of historical facts,
including, without limitation, those regarding the Company's financial position, business strategy, plans and objectives of management for
future operations (including development plans and objectives relating to the Company's products and services), and any statements preceded
by, followed by or that include forward-looking terminology such as the words 'targets', 'believes', 'estimates', 'expects', 'aims',
'intends', 'will', 'can', 'may', 'anticipates', 'would', 'should', 'could' or similar expressions or the negative thereof. Such
forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors beyond the Company's control that
could cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from future results, performance or
achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on numerous assumptions regarding the Company's present and future business strategies and the
environment in which the Company will operate in the future. Among the important factors that could cause the Company's actual results,
performance or achievements to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include those relating to The Company's funding
requirements, regulatory approvals, clinical trials, reliance on third parties, intellectual property, key personnel and other factors.
These forward-looking statements speak only as at the date of this announcement. The Company expressly disclaims any obligation or
undertaking to disseminate any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained in this announcement to reflect any change
in the Company's expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statements are
based. As a result of these factors, readers are cautioned not to rely on any forward-looking statement.

    
    


This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
 
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