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CEVEC commercializes an innovative platform technology for the production of vaccines and biopharmaceuticals in human cell lines.  

CEVEC’s CAP cells hold high promise for a best-in-class production system for viral vaccines, such as hCMV, Influenza and others, as shown by a recent case study. Compared to leading other cellular production systems (like MDCK) CAP demonstrated outstanding results in view of virus yield, extreme short production cycles and minimal media consumption. CEVEC’s CAP system is suspension based and serum free offering the best starting point for new vaccine production approaches with excellent upscaling possibilities. Being the only remaining independent supplier for human production cell lines, the company sets out to repeat the growth story of Crucell B.V., recently acquired by Johnson & Johnson for 2.4 Bn US$. 

Feasibility studies further demonstrated CAP being a versatile virus production platform with a broad susceptibility for various human-pathogenic human viruses. Commercially significant targets include hCMV, RSV, Influenza, Polio, Measles, AAV, Adenoviruses, Lentiviruses and others. Several lead projects have been identified and planned, including the first human platform for hCMV, together with its partner Vaccine Project Manager, Hannover, Germany.

CEVEC is underway to close another 7-10 Mio. EUR venture round. This investment will be used to push the vaccine lead projects, such as hCMV within 3 years to clinical phase I/IIa results and manage a broad roll-out of its vaccine production technology in order to maximize its company exit value by 2015. Venture investors are still invited to participate in an exciting low-risk and high return growth story. For further information, please click here: www.cevec.com

DCPrime is a Dutch biotech company which has developed a novel approach to cancer vaccines. The company’s unique platform technology consists of sustainable dendritic progenitor cells (DCOne™) and a proprietary method to expand these and to create functional mature dendritic cells (DC).

These cells, in some indications loaded with cancer antigens for targeted treatment, are used as standardized, off-the-shelf, therapeutic products that can stimulate the patient’s immune system in a specific manner. The platform combines the power of DC-based vaccines with the advantages of allogeneic stimulation of the immune system, and the simple logistics of off-the-shelf products.

Edinburgh BioQuarter is the commercialisation arm of the University of Edinburgh Medical School and Veterinary College. We have recently spun out several companies in the devices, informatics and CRO space. Current companies in incubation include:

• FibromEd, which is developing improved hepatocyte products for drug toxicity testing
• Asclepius, an orphan drug company focused on rare renal disease
• Edinburgh Molecular Imaging, a new imaging technology focused on rapid diagnosis of lung pathology including fibrosis
• Therapivo, a new approach to the treatment of metastatic cancer based on phenotypic drug development
• Vaccine company which is utilising novel adjuvant technology
• Anti-infective company with broad spectrum anti-viral technolgy focused on respiratory infections  

Genticel is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company that develops multivalent vaccines for patients infected with Human Papillomavirus (HPV). Till date, the company has raised EUR 27 Mio in funding.

Current investors include Edmond de Rothschild Venture Partners, Innobio Fund, IDInvest (Allianz) and Amundi. 

Our lead investigational vaccine, ProCervix, has successfully finished a very positive data-rich Phase Ib trial on 47 HPV16 and/or 18 infected women. ProCervix is the first therapeutic vaccine offering a solution to the more than 93 million women worldwide already infected with HPV 16 and/or 18 before the appearance of high grade neoplasia. This very large population, exposed at high risk to develop cervical cancer, is only now becoming accessible thanks to new screening guidelines prescribing first line HPV-based testing.

A large survey of prescribers and a Market Access Study predict overwhelming acceptability and a very large market potential.

Genticel wants to take ProCervix into Clinical Phase II and further develop our second product, a heptavalent therapeutic HPV vaccine, up to clinical stage.

To do this, we intend to raise additional capital from our current and selected international investors. 

Immune Design is a privately held biotechnology company based in Seattle, Washington and formed in 2008 to bring together some of the world’s leaders in the field of immunology, and their technologies, to develop therapeutic vaccines for the treatment of infectious and malignant disease. The company’s scientific founders are Dr. David Baltimore (Past President of Caltech, Rockefeller University, and the Whitehead Institute and the Co-Recipient of the 1975 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine), Dr. Steven Reed (Past Co-founder and CSO of Corixa and Founder/CEO of the Infectious Diseases Research Institute), and Dr. Larry Corey (President and Director of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and Professor of Medicine and Laboratory Medicine at the University of Washington). To date Immune Design has raised approximately $52 million from The Column Group, Alta Partners, Versant Ventures, and Proquest.  
Immune Design leverages its unique vaccine technologies to precisely control the activation and context of antigen presentation by dendritic cells in order to shape the desired adaptive immune response.  The first technology is a novel adjuvant for recombinant protein antigen (rP)-based vaccines comprising Glucopyranosyl Lipid A (GLA), a synthetic TLR4 agonist, formulated in a stable 2% oil-in-water emulsion (SE). Adjuvants can play an important role in vaccine therapies by stimulating the immune system's response to the target antigen. GLA is the first ‘designer adjuvant’ and was developed by Immune Design co-founder Dr. Steve Reed.  To date GLA-SE has been safely administered in over 300 human subjects.   

Our second vaccine platform is a novel lentivirus-based vector, ID-LV (Immune Design-Lentiviral Vector). The prototype of ID-LV was developed by Immune Design co-founder, Dr. David Baltimore. ID-LV is unique in that it can stimulate the body’s own dendritic cells (DCs), the “sentinels” of the immune system, to produce any, and importantly, multiple antigens of interest in the same product configuration, effectively orchestrating the human immune system to respond to targeted diseases.  Immune Design’s ID-LV and GLA-SE vaccine technologies are immunologically synergistic, as documented in animal models, and thus, have the potential to be used both alone and in combination to create the next generation of vaccines for diseases with unmet medical need.

Immune Targeting Systems is an emerging leader in the development of vaccine products that work by promoting T-cell responses against viruses and cancers (“T-cell vaccines”). The company’s lead product Flunisyn™, currently in clinical development, is a novel T-cell vaccine which aims to elicit immune protection against multiple strains of influenza. The Company’s technology also supports a product portfolio which includes Hepsyn-B, an attractive therapeutic hepatitis B vaccine and T-cell vaccines against cancers.

Immunovaccine is a biotechnology company focused on the application of its novel vaccine delivery platform to the development of vaccines for cancer therapy and infectious diseases. The Company’s DepoVax™ platform is a patented lipid delivery system that presents antigens plus adjuvant to the immune system for a prolonged period and has the potential to enhance immune responses. Immunovaccine has advanced its platform technology and proprietary cancer vaccine into Phase I clinical trials and has demonstrated both safety and immunogenicity potential. Immunovaccine is also capitalizing on the broad potential of its delivery platform by creating new DepoVax-based vaccines through multiple development collaborations. In addition to the Company’s human health vaccine strategy, it continues to capture value from animal health vaccine applications. Immunovaccine has several key partnerships in the animal health sector including an agreement with Pfizer Animal Health, which has licensed the Company’s delivery technology platform to develop vaccines for livestock.

The PROTAGEN GROUP is a leading provider of solutions for the

Pharmaceutical and Biotech industries, supporting drug development towards

personalized medicines and GMP compliant protein characterization services

of outstanding quality.

The PROTAGEN GROUP consists of PROTAGEN AG with a clear focus on

diagnostics, and PROTAGEN Protein Services GmbH (PPS) providing GMP

compliant protein analysis.

PROTAGEN AG has developed the proprietary UNIarray® platform to support

patient stratification and the development of Companion Diagnostics (CDx)

using the diagnostic power of autoantibody signatures in blood. We combine

our outstanding know-how in biostatistics and expertise in Protein arrays and

Luminex technology for the development of novel diagnostic assays. Our R&D

focus is on chronic diseases, e.g. neurodegenerative disorders, endometriosis,

autoimmune diseases such as Rheumatoid Arthritis, Systemic Lupus

Erythematosus and Multiple Sclerosis as well as selected cancer indications,

e.g. Prostate-, Breast-, Ovarian-, Colon- and Pancreatic Cancer.

PROTAGEN Protein Services GmbH (PPS)

is a reliable partner for GMP compliant characterization of biotherapeutics

(NBEs) and biosimilar comparability, including stability and release testing.

PPS combines unique expertise in bioinformatics for protein mass spectrometry

with a long track record in protein chemistry and protein analytics in order to

provide the best quality available. In addition, we provide customer support for

all relevant regulatory issues to match with current regulatory requirements

(FDA, EMA, KFDA) for protein drugs.

Scancell is an AIM listed UK based company developing novel therapeutic vaccines for the treatment of cancer based on its groundbreaking ImmunoBody® and Moditope™ technology platforms. Scancell’s first cancer vaccine SCIB1 is a DNA vaccine being developed for the treatment of melanoma and is in Phase 2 clinical trials.

Treating cancer by vaccination allows small non-toxic doses of a vaccine to be administered to a patient, stimulating an immune response. Effective cancer vaccines need to target dendritic cells to stimulate both parts of the cellular immune system; the helper cell system where inflammation is stimulated at the tumour site; and the cytotoxic T-lymphocyte or CTL response where immune system cells are primed to recognise and kill specific cells.

A limitation of many cancer vaccines currently in development is that they cannot specifically target dendritic cells in vivo. Several groups have demonstrated successful vaccination by growing dendritic cells ex vivo, pulsing them with tumour antigens and re-infusing them. However, this procedure is patient specific, time consuming and expensive. Scancell has developed its breakthrough patent protected ImmunoBody® technology to overcome these limitations.

The Immunobody® technology can be adapted to provide the basis for treating any tumour type and may also be of potential utility in the development of vaccines against hepatitis, HIV and other chronic infectious diseases.

Scancell has also identified and patented a series of modified epitopes that stimulate the production of killer CD4 that destroy tumours without toxicity. The Moditope™ platform could have a profound effect on the way that cancer vaccines are developed.

Virometix is a privately held young innovative Swiss Biotech company developing a new class of vaccines, which should overcome limitations of current biological vaccines in terms of safety, efficacy, speed, stability and manufacturing cost. Virometix Synthetic Virus-Like Nanoparticle (SVLP) technology platform offers the following value propositions:

Safety. Virometix SVLP-based vaccines avoid the use of life pathogens and the safety concerns associated with the biological manufacturing processes used for conventional vaccines.

Quality. SVLPs are based on a proprietary lipopeptide self-assembly process that leads to atomically defined nanoparticles with a constant size and number of lipopeptide monomers per particle, which increases the specificity and quality of the elicited immune response and assures lot-to-lot consistency.

Efficacy. SVLPs efficiently deliver antigens to antigen presenting cells for optimal B- and T-cell responses and induce antibodies that bind with very high affinity to the native target antigen.

Convenience. SVLPs do not require sonication, refolding, extrusion or similar processes. SVLPs can be prepared by simply dissolving freeze-dried lipopeptide monomers in a buffer suitable for injection shortly before use.

The protective potential of Virometix nanoparticles has been demonstrated for various targets in in vitro and in vivo. Virometix currently develops vaccines for infectious diseases and cancer and offers collaborative research and licensing partnerships for selected vaccines in these areas, and licensing opportunities for selected areas outside Virometix core focus.