Oxford BioMedica in pet cancer vaccine deal with Virbac

21 February 2000 12:38  [Source: ICIS news]

LONDON (CNI)--UK biotechnology company Oxford BioMedica announced Monday it has signed an agreement with French veterinary drugs firm Virbac to use its cancer vaccine technology in animal health research.

Financial details of the R&D pact were not disclosed, but in a statement Oxford BioMedica said it will receive upfront and milestone payments and products royalties. In addition, Virbac plans staged equity investment in the UK firm.

Oxford BioMedica will supply its tumour-associated antigens for the research work into cancer vaccines for pets. Virbac is to fund the pre-clinical data preparation, clinical trials, regulatory dossier preparation as well as giving financial support to Oxford BioMedica on the vaccine R&D work.

The UK firms said there is no equivalent cancer vaccine available to treat pets, such as dogs and cats. It added that such a vaccine could establish a new market in veterinary pharmaceuticals worth more than $200m (Euro203m) in the US and Europe.

Alan Kingsman, chief executive of Oxford BioMedica, said: "This deal represents the first of several that we are negotiating with pharmaceutical companies worldwide on our novel tumour-combating antigens. In particular, strong interest is being shown in the human version of this vaccine."

He added that the licensing deal with Virbac allows Oxford BioMedica to share in revenue streams outside of its core human therapeutic markets."

By: Patrick Reynolds
+44 208 652 3214

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