sounds good to me, but what do i know........let me see a big pharma show some interest and the $$ and i will get excited.
Antex Develops New Technology to 'Blueprint' Infectious Disease
PR Newswire, Tuesday, June 06, 2000 at 10:58
VEP(TM) Will Accelerate Novel Antibiotic and Vaccine Discoveries
GAITHERSBURG, Md., June 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Antex Biologics (BB:ANTX) today announced
the development of its new genomics-based platform technology that reveals the "blueprint" of
infectious bacteria in their host environment. Using the new VEP(TM) (Virulence Expression Profiling)
platform, Antex can duplicate in the laboratory the way bacteria grows in the human body and identify
the disease-causing ("virulence") proteins of a bacteria at the genomic level. Believed to be the only
such bacterial virulence protein-identification technology in the world, Antex scientists will use VEP to
accelerate the development of new vaccines and antibiotics that will prevent infectious diseases and
kill bacteria. Efficient disease related protein identification offers considerable competitive advantage
by speeding up drug and vaccine discovery.
"There is a great deal of excitement about this innovative technology. We believe VEP will
significantly streamline Antex's drug discovery and vaccine development programs," said Dr. Larry
Ellingsworth, Vice President Research and Development at Antex. "Ultimately, VEP will lead Antex to
new antibiotic and vaccine discoveries that will fight infectious diseases, such as Strep and Staph
infections that are becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics now available."
VEP combines Antex's patented NST(TM) (Nutriment Signal Transduction) technology, which
duplicates in the laboratory certain important environmental conditions microbes encounter in the
human body, with the latest ways to identify genes using genomic microarray expression profiling
tools. These genomic tools provide a rapid and systematic method for the high-throughput analysis of
genome-wide gene expression from complex biological samples. The net result is an extremely high
identification rate of proteins that cause disease. Current antibiotics work against just a few
disease-related proteins in the body, or "targets," as the industry calls them. VEP, Antex's new
genomics-based technology, should yield a quantum leap revealing many new targets as well as
antigens for use as vaccines.
NST technology works by identifying the particular signals, natural chemicals and other in vivo
conditions ("nutriments") that transduce bacteria and enhance the expression of specific virulence
properties. NST-grown microbes are "virulence enhanced," and therefore, more clinically-relevant
bacteria.
With VEP, Antex will be able to identify particular genes that pathogenic bacteria express in
response to the environmental conditions of the human body ("in vivo"). Microbes grown using
classical laboratory methods do not behave the same as pathogenic bacteria isolated from a sick
individual because they have not been exposed to important in vivo signals required for virulence
production. These in vivo signals are recognized by bacteria, which respond by expressing virulence
factor genes to persist and cause disease.
Virulence enhanced factors include elevated levels of adhesins, invasins, enzymes and other
cellular components. Some specifically up-regulated virulence factors identified in NST-grown bacteria
include Type III protein translocation system substrates, flagellin expression, glycosylation of bacterial
proteins, hemolysin and capsular polysaccharide production, and lipopolysaccharide structure, as
well as some metabolic enzymes.
Antex Biologics is a biopharmaceutical company committed to developing and marketing new
products to prevent and treat infections and related diseases. In addition to its new VEP and NST
platforms, Antex also applies its ART (Antigen Receptor Technology) for new product discovery. The
Company has three vaccine products, discovered using these technologies, in clinical development.
Also based on products produced from these technologies, the Company has strategic alliances with
SmithKline Beecham, Aventis Pasteur, Pfizer and the U.S. Department of Defense. The Company's
common stock is quoted on the OTC Bulletin Board under the ticker symbol ANTX.
Statements contained herein that are not historical facts regarding the development of new
vaccine and antibiotic products may be forward-looking statements that are subject to a variety of
risks and uncertainties. There are a number of important factors that could cause actual results to
differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements made by the Company. Such
factors are fully described in the Company's Form 10-KSB filed with the United States Securities and
Exchange Commission, and include, but are not limited to: (i) the Company's ability to fund its future
operations; (ii) the Company's ability to successfully complete product research and development,
including preclinical and clinical studies and commercialization; (iii) the Company's ability to obtain
required governmental approvals; (iv) the Company's ability to attract and/or maintain manufacturing,
sales, distribution and marketing partners; and (v) the Company's ability to develop and commercialize
its products before its competitors.
SOURCE Antex Biologics Inc.
-0- 06/06/2000
/CONTACT: Theresa M. Stevens of Antex Biologics, 301-590-0129; or Tom Norton or Jeff
McLaughlin of SPECTRUM Science Public Relations, 202-955-6222/
/Web site: antexbiologics.com |
