Dynavax Scientist Receives 'European Inventor of the Year' Award From European Patent Office for Vaccine Production Platform
Award Based on 1994 Patent Granted to Rhein Biotech GmbH Founder for Hansenula Yeast-Based Protein Production System for Hepatitis B Vaccine
BERKELEY, Calif., May 4 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Dynavax Technologies Corporation (Nasdaq: DVAX) announced that Dr. Zbigniew Janowicz, managing director and co-founder of Rhein Biotech GmbH, now a subsidiary of Dynavax, has received European Inventor of the Year Award, along with Professor Cornelis Hollenberg, University of Dusseldorf and co-founder of Rhein Biotech GmbH. The award was granted to Dr. Janowicz and Professor Hollenberg by the European Patent Office (EPO) on behalf of the European Commission and honors inventors in any technical field that have made an outstanding contribution to innovation in Europe. The award recognizes their patented invention of the Hansenula Expression Platform, a method for making proteins in Hansenula yeast, which is a key technology in the production of hepatitis B vaccines. The award was conferred upon Dr. Janowicz and Professor Hollenberg at a ceremony hosted by the European Commission on May 3, 2006, in Brussels, Belgium. This is the first year the award has been granted.
The invention of Dr. Janowicz and Professor Hollenberg was selected out of over 380,000 patents that were granted by the EPO between 1991 and 2000, and was recognized in the "industry" category. As a basis for nominating Dr. Janowicz and Professor Hollenberg for the award, the EPO recognized their invention as "a method for making proteins in Hansenula yeast, which is a key component in the production of an affordable hepatitis B vaccine. The technology is now acknowledged as an industrial standard for protein production and is used in a host of biopharmaceutical and biotech applications, including the production of Interferon alpha-2a, human insulin and Hirudin. This invention enabled the introduction of programmes to counter the spread of hepatitis B worldwide, including UNICEF projects to vaccinate newborn children and infants."
Dr. Janowicz and Prof. Hollenberg's patent is entitled, "DNA-molecules coding for FMDH control regions and structured gene for a protein having FMDH- activity and their uses" (Patent EPO299108, priority date 1987, published in 1994). The patent describes the generation of production strains for manufacturing of recombinant biopharmaceuticals, and forms the basis of a recombinant hepatitis B vaccine that was developed at Rhein Biotech GmbH in the early 1990s. Rhein Biotech's hepatitis B technology was instrumental in facilitating mass vaccination campaigns for newborns and infants by national and international health organizations in developing countries. Today, it is estimated that vaccines based on this technology are used worldwide, and that the inventors' technology is utilized for the production of a number of several other commercial and developmental vaccines. Dynavax's HEPLISAV™ and SUPERVAX hepatitis B vaccines are both produced using the inventor's technology, as are its hepatitis B therapies currently in preclinical development.
Dr. Zbigniew Janowicz has served as managing director with responsibilities as chief operating officer and chief scientific officer of Rhein Biotech GmbH since 2002, and was formerly the director of research and development. He holds a Ph.D in Biochemistry. He was also formerly the director of research and development in the tissue repair business of Curative Technologies.
About Dynavax
Dynavax Technologies Corporation discovers, develops, and intends to commercialize innovative TLR-9 agonist-based products to treat and prevent allergies, infectious diseases, and chronic inflammatory diseases using versatile, proprietary approaches that alter immune system responses in highly specific ways. Our clinical development programs are based on immunostimulatory sequences, or ISS, which are short DNA sequences that enhance the ability of the immune system to fight disease and control chronic inflammation. Dynavax's pipeline includes: TOLAMBA, a ragweed allergy immunotherapeutic, for which a major safety and efficacy trial is currently underway, and that is in a supportive clinical trial in ragweed allergic children; HEPLISAV, a hepatitis B vaccine that is currently in a Phase 3 clinical trial; SUPERVAX, a hepatitis B vaccine; a cancer therapy currently in a Phase 2 clinical trial and anticipated to enter clinical trials in solid tumors; an asthma immunotherapeutic that has shown preliminary safety and pharmacology in a Phase 2a clinical trial; and preclinical programs in hepatitis B and hepatitis C therapy.
Dynavax cautions you that statements included in this press release that are not a description of historical facts are forward-looking statements, including without limitation all statements regarding progress in the Company's clinical programs; implementation of strategies that strengthen the Company's business; the Company's revenue, operating expenses, loss from operations and cash balance estimates for 2006; statements regarding the accounting treatment of Symphony Dynamo by the Company; statements related to the potential for determining the potential timeline to registration for TOLAMBA; statements concerning the anticipated development plan for HEPLISAV and SUPERVAX; and statements related to plans to advance its clinical programs in ragweed allergy, hepatitis B, cancer, hepatitis B and hepatitis C therapy and the commercial opportunities for those programs. Words such as "believes," "anticipates," "plans," "expects," "intend," "will," "slated," "goal" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. The inclusion of forward-looking statements should not be regarded as a representation by Dynavax that any of its plans will be achieved. Actual results may differ materially from those set forth in this release due to the risks and uncertainties inherent in Dynavax's business including, without limitation, risks relating to: the progress and timing of its current and anticipated clinical trials in ragweed allergy and hepatitis B; difficulties or delays in developing, testing, obtaining regulatory approval of, producing and marketing its products; the scope and validity of patent protection for its products; competition from other pharmaceutical or biotechnology companies; its ability to obtain additional financing to support its operations; its ability to maintain effective financial planning and internal controls; and other risks detailed in the "Risk Factors" section of Dynavax's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on March 16, 2006. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement and Dynavax undertakes no obligation to revise or update this news release to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof.
SOURCE Dynavax Technologies Corporation
05/04/2006
CONTACT: Jane M. Green, PhD, Vice President, Corporate Communications of
Dynavax Technologies Corporation, +1-510-665-4630, or jgreen@dvax.com
Web site: http://www.dynavax.com
(DVAX)
05/04/2006 06:00 EDT http://www.prnewswire.com