I don't understand how CIST's old research partner NOX can sell for $6 on only a few hundred thousand in sales, and cash and no profit while CIST sells for $.34.
Remember this old news article:
Cistron Announces Prelim Results on Influenza Vaccine
Cistron Announces Preliminary Results of IL-1 Adjuvant Effects On Influenza Vaccine PINE BROOK, N.J., Dec. 9 1997
/PRNewswire/ -- At the fifth annual conference of the International Cytokine Society held November 9-13, 1997 in Lake Tahoe, NV, Cistron Biotechnology, Inc. (OTC: CIST) presented an abstract entitled "IL-1B as Adjuvant in Novasomes(R) Rapidly Induces a Strong Immune Response to Influenza A." The abstract reported that the IgG antibody titers of animals injected with a combination of influenza vaccine and IL-1B encapsulated in a Novasome, a non-phospholipid liposome, were significantly, higher than titers produced by injection of influenza vaccine alone or a combination of the vaccine and IL-1B without encapsulation. The animals receiving the Novasome encapsulated IL-1B/vaccine material showed no toxic effects in this study. The research was conducted by Richard S. Dondero and Leslie S. Casey, Ph.D. of Cistron and D. Craig Wright, M.D. and Joan Brisker of Novavax, Inc. (Amex: NOX). Cistron and Novavax are collaborating on additional animal studies related to IL-1B as a vaccine adjuvant.
These and other risks are described in the Company's report on Form 10-Q for the period ended September 30, 1997. ABSTRACT IL-1B as Adjuvant in Novasomes Rapidly Induces A Strong Immune Response to Influenza A L. CASEY, R. DONDERO, J. BRISKER AND C. WRIGHT, Cistron Biotechnology, Inc., Pine Brook, NJ 07058 and Novavax, Inc., Columbia, MD 21046 Current influenza vaccines often fail to induce protective immunity, and the vaccines cannot be manufactured in quantities sufficient to immunize all susceptible populations. Therefore, there is a need for an adjuvant that can induce protective immunity at a low antigen dose, without toxic side effects. Purified recombinant IL-1B and influenza A vaccine were encapsulated into Novasomes, small (0.4-1.0 uM), non-phospholipid liposomes. Inoculation of rats intramuscularly at days 0 and 30 resulted in rapid induction of high-titer IgG antibodies against influenza. Average serum titers from animals inoculated with Novasomes/influenza with IL-1B were 2-fold higher after the first inoculation than those from animals inoculated with Novasomes/influenza without IL-1B, and 3-fold higher after the second inoculation. Inoculation with Novasomes/influenza with IL-1B also induced a more rapid, much stronger immune response than inoculation with the influenza vaccine alone. No toxic effects were observed compared with the control (influenza vaccine alone). Encapsulation of antigen into Novasomes with IL-1B as adjuvant may be a general strategy for boosting the effectiveness of vaccines.
Now an update on NOX:
Novavax Licenses a Series of Novasome(R) Adjuvants to Parkedale Pharmaceuticals for Use With Fluogen(R) Influenza Vaccines
- Data Recently Presented at the 50th Annual Meeting of the Society for Industrial Microbiology -
COLUMBIA, Md., Oct. 22 1999 /PRNewswire/ -- Novavax, Inc. (Amex: NOX - news) today announced that it has entered into a licensing agreement with Parkedale Pharmaceuticals, a wholly owned subsidiary of King Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: KING - news) for the rights to Novavax Novasome© adjuvants to be used with Parkedale's U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) licensed FLUOGEN©, Influenza virus vaccine, trivalent, types A and B. Under the terms of the agreement, Novavax has granted Parkedale an exclusive license to all Novasome adjuvants for use with influenza virus therapies, including worldwide development and marketing rights, with the exception of six Pacific Rim countries. In return, Novavax will receive an upfront licensing fee of $1 million, milestone payments, research support and royalties on future product sales. In 1998, the total influenza market was valued at over $240 million. Novasome adjuvanted FLUOGEN is expected to enter clinical trials next year.
Novavax and Parkedale have been collaborating over the past several years to evaluate the benefits of Novasomes to adjuvant Parkedale's Influenza vaccine. Currently, a new series of proprietary, liposomal Novasome adjuvants (designed and manufactured by Novavax) are undergoing pre-clinical immunogenicity and toxicology testing at Parkedale. In August 1999, Novavax presented pre-clinical data on Novasome adjuvanted FLUOGEN at the 50th Annual Meeting of the Society for Industrial Microbiology.
``Studies investigating the immunogenicity and efficacy of Novavax's Novasome adjuvants, combined with Parkedale's FLUOGEN, indicated that the Novasome adjuvants successfully incorporated Influenza proteins in the Novasome lipid bi-layers and generated protective responses in ferret and rat models of infection, stated D. Craig Wright, MD, Chief Scientific Officer of Novavax. 'This new series of Novasome adjuvants can be injected subcutaneously, intramuscularly or delivered intranasally in rat models.``
John A. Spears, President and CEO of Novavax, stated, ``We are very excited that Parkedale has selected our adjuvant technology with which to pair its Influenza vaccine. We believe that Novasome? adjuvants offer a promising alternative to standard adjuvants, given the technology's demonstrated ability to be effective when combined with FLUOGEN© in pre-clinical studies. As a result, we certainly look forward to working with Parkedale to evaluate the potential clinical benefits of combining our products.'
``From a corporate standpoint, this licensing agreement will potentially provide Novavax with a royalty revenue stream. At the same time, this agreement continues to validate the broad applicability of our Novasomes and is another major milestone in our mission to cultivate the potency of our unique adjuvant technology. As such, we continue to investigate similar opportunities to which we can apply our technology to infectious disease, oncology and autoimmune disease,' concluded Mr. Spears.
Parkedale manufactures sterile pharmaceutical products including FLUOGEN© and produces the finished forms of certain biotechnology products for contract customers, such as Amgen, Genentech and QLT PhotoTherapeutics.
King Pharmaceuticals, headquartered in Bristol, Tennessee, is a vertically integrated pharmaceutical company that manufactures, markets, and sells primarily branded prescription pharmaceutical products. King seeks to capitalize on niche opportunities in the pharmaceutical industry created by cost containment initiatives and consolidation among large global pharmaceutical companies. King's strategy is to acquire branded pharmaceutical products and to increase their sales by focused promotion and marketing and through product life cycle management.
Novavax, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical drug delivery company engaged in the research and development of differentiated drug products for large and growing markets. The company is applying its proprietary lipid vesicle encapsulation technologies including Novasome© lipid vesicles and micellar nanoparticles to develop product candidates for the topical and oral delivery of generic and non-generic drugs, peptides, proteins and oligonucleotides. The company's Novasome technology is also being developed as an adjuvant delivery system for enhanced vaccine efficacy. Novavax has several product candidates in pre- clinical and human clinical trials, including ESTRASORB(TM), a topical cream for estrogen replacement therapy which has entered Phase III clinical testing. Novavax's Biomedical Services Division is engaged in contract research and development and Phase I/II vaccine manufacturing of human vaccines for government laboratories and other vaccine companies.
Statements made in this press release that state the company's or management's intentions, hopes, beliefs, expectations or predictions of the future are forward-looking statements. The company's actual results could differ materially from those projected in such forward-looking statements. Additional information concerning factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements is contained in the company's SEC report on Form 10K for the year ended December 31, 1998 incorporated herein by reference. Statements made herein should be read in conjunction with the company's Form 10K. Copies of these filings may be obtained by contacting the company at 8320 Guilford Road, Columbia, MD 21046 Tel 301-854-3900 or the SEC.
SOURCE: Novavax, Inc. |
