PowderJect Issued European Patent For DNA Vaccine Technology

PowderJect Vaccines, Inc. (Madison, WI), a wholly owned subsidiary of PowderJect Pharmaceuticals PLC, has been issued European patent EP 0 500 799 that broadly covers use of the company's microparticle DNA vaccine technology. Corresponding applications are pending in the USA, Japan and Canada.

Noninvasive DNA immunization is the cornerstone of PowderJect's vaccine business strategy. The company has developed a novel formulation in which DNA from a pathogen is adhered to microscopic gold particles. Using the hand-held, needle-free Dermal PowderJect System, this dry powder formulation is painlessly delivered into the skin by a burst of helium gas. Once inside the epidermal skin cells, the DNA separates from the gold particles and produces immunogenic compounds that elicit an immune response.

DNA vaccination can trigger both cellular and humoral (antibody) immune responses in vaccinated individuals, rather than just an antibody response as is typically seen with many traditional vaccines. DNA vaccination thus offers a distinct advantage when used prophylactically to provide protection against a wide array of infectious diseases, and possibly as a therapeutic to treat infected patients or patients suffering from cancer and/or immune disorders.

The issued patent claims particle delivery of genes encoding proteins and peptides to skin to produce an immune response. This patent is part of a portfolio of patents exclusively licensed to PowderJect by Duke University, Cornell University and E. I. Dupont de Nemours and Co. for all mammalian applications.

For more information: PowderJect Vaccines, Inc., 585 Science Drive, Madison, WI 53711, USA. Telephone: 608-231-3150. Fax: 608-231-6990.