Positive BJCT News...
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Doug:
Wednesday July 22, 5:51 pm Eastern Time
Company Press Release
SOURCE: Bioject Medical Technologies Inc.
Bioject and GeneMedicine Announce Research
Collaboration
Companies Will Combine Technologies to Enhance Delivery of
Genetic Vaccines
PORTLAND, Ore., and THE WOODLANDS, Texas, July 22
/PRNewswire/ -- Bioject
Medical Technologies Inc. (Nasdaq: BJCT - news), the leading
manufacturer of jet
injection devices for needle-free intradermal, subcutaneous and
intramuscular
injections, and GeneMedicine, inc. (Nasdaq: GMED - news), a
leader in developing
gene medicines and genetic vaccine technologies for treatment or
prevention of a
wide range of diseases, today announced that they have entered
into a research
collaboration to develop innovative delivery systems and
methods for genetic
immunization.
The focus of this research collaboration is to significantly
enhance the delivery and
activity of formulated plasmid-based genetic vaccines, combining
the proprietary
technologies of both companies into one unique product that will
advance the
development of gene-based vaccines.
Said Jim O'Shea, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer
of Bioject: ''By
integrating GeneMedicine's gene-based delivery systems with our
unique
needle-free injection systems, we will create a total solution
delivery method that
could significantly impact the ability to create novel approaches
to treat diseases
with genetic immunization.
''This collaboration underscores Bioject's commitment to
developing new markets
and applications for our products and technologies through
corporate alliances.
Through the alliance, both partners will have access to each
other's broad portfolio
of patents in order to fully realize the potential of this
collaboration. In addition,
Bioject will participate in GeneMedicine's ongoing ''in-vivo''
studies that will
support Bioject's existing technologies, as well as fuel new
product development,''
O'Shea concluded.
Said Norman Hardman, Ph.D., President and Chief Operating
Officer of
GeneMedicine: ''This collaboration with Bioject will help us
significantly expand
the development of genetic vaccines, using our proprietary
delivery and expression
systems. As the only FDA-approved needle-free delivery device for
intramuscular
injections coupled with its potential to enhance immunological
response, Bioject's
system is ideally suited to improve the effectiveness of our own
technologies in the
delivery of genetic vaccines. Furthermore, Bioject has a dermal
device before the
FDA that may play a key role in our genetic vaccine strategy to
target dendritic
cells.''
Headquartered in The Woodlands, Texas, GeneMedicine develops
gene medicines
that are intended to provide a new quality of pharmaceutical
treatment not
attainable through the use of small molecule drugs or
protein-based therapeutic
products. The Company's initial focus is on the development of
gene medicines for
treating certain cancers, neuromuscular disorders, cardiovascular
diseases, and
pulmonary diseases, as well as the development of genetic
vaccines for treatment or
prevention of infectious diseases. By using non-viral delivery and
expression
technologies, gene medicines deliver instructions to targeted cells
in the body to
produce therapeutic proteins or desired immune responses. The
Company's core
gene delivery technology includes lipid-, peptide-, carbohydrate-
and polymer-based
systems, each able to be applied to specific clinical targets.
Bioject develops, manufactures and markets jet injection systems
for needle-free
delivery of pharmaceutical agents. The Company's advanced
injection management
system, the Biojector 2000, has received the Seal of Acceptance
from the Alliance of
Children's Hospitals, Inc. The Company is developing a system for
Hoffmann-La
Roche to market specifically with their products. Bioject is also
developing an
ambulatory continuous blood glucose-monitoring system for
diabetics through
Marathon Medical Technologies, its joint venture with Elan
Corporation.
The forward-looking statements contained in this release are
subject to the safe
harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act
of 1995. Such
forward looking statements involve known and unknown risks,
uncertainties and
other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or
achievements of
the company, or industry results, to be materially different from
any future results,
performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such
forward looking
statements. Readers of this press release are referred to the
company's filings with
the Securities and Exchange Commission, including Bioject's
Annual Report on
Form 10-K for the year ended March 31, 1998 and
GeneMedicine's Annual Report
on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1997 or further
discussions of
factors which could affect future results.
SOURCE: Bioject Medical Technologies Inc.
More Quotes
and News:
Bioject Medical Technologies Inc (Nasdaq:BJCT - news)
Genemedicine Inc (Nasdaq:GMED - news)
Related News Categories: biotech, medical/pharmaceutical
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