BioVeris Completes Agreements With University of Massachusetts at Amherst

27-May-2005

BioVeris Corporation announced that it has entered into an option agreement with the University of Massachusetts at Amherst (UMA) for exclusive patent rights to a unique vaccine candidate for Chlamydia, the most frequently reported infectious disease in the United States. Under the agreement with UMA, the Company acquired a first option for exclusive rights to commercialize products for possible use in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of all chlamydial infections, including the disease, chlamydia, caused by the bacterium, Chlamydia trachomatis.

The Company and UMA also entered into a separate Sponsored Research Agreement under which the Company will sponsor up to $600,000 of research at UMA through 2006 aimed at developing a vaccine candidate. If the Company exercises its option for exclusive rights to commercialize products, it will pay a license issue fee, as well as milestones fees for initiating and completing human clinical trials and securing regulatory approvals, and royalties on product sales.

Dr. Lloyd H. Semprevivo will lead an alliance of scientists at UMA, including Drs. Elizabeth Stuart and Wilmore Webley in the continuing effort to develop a vaccine for Chlamydia. The vaccine under investigation utilizes a pan-genus antigen that should be effective in preventing infections caused by most or all species of Chlamydia. Dr. Semprevivo said, "My colleagues and I are extremely pleased to have the opportunity to collaborate with the premier group of vaccinologists at BioVeris."

There is no vaccine currently available to protect against Chlamydia. The UMA vaccine technology would be expected to cover all chlamydial infections, including those caused by Chlamydia psittaci, which often results in pneumonia and endocarditis in humans, and Chlamydia pneumoniae, which is responsible for some pneumonia, bronchitis, pharyngitis, laryngitis, and sinusitis. In addition, C. pneumoniae infections have been implicated by some investigators to be associated with atherosclerotic vascular disease, Alzheimer's disease, asthma, and reactive arthritis. The future market for worldwide sales of Chlamydia vaccines has been estimated by industry analysts to exceed $1 billion annually.

https://www.bionity.com/en/news/46317/bioveris-completes-agreements-with-university-of-massachusetts-at-amherst.html