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Juvaris BioTherapeutics Inc., a private biotechnology company today announced it has received Notice of Allowance from the US Patent Office covering its core technology platform. The Company is focused on the development of a new generation of therapeutic vaccines for the treatment of infectious diseases, cancer and potential biological weapons. The allowed patent entitled "Systemic Immune Activation Method Using Nucleic Acid-Lipid Complexes" teaches a composition of matter and method for up-regulating the immune system using a cationic liposome delivery vehicle together with a nucleic acid molecule. The nucleic acid molecule may be either an oligonucleotide with a CpG motif or a nucleic acid vector without a gene insert. The Company believes that the technology's ability to augment and boost a diseased patient's immune system will substantially impact the disease process and will lead to an array of commercial product opportunities. Preclinical therapeutic efficacy, supporting this concept, has already been demonstrated in canines with naturally-occurring disease. Moreover, the enhanced immunological responsiveness generated by lipid-DNA complexes has been corroborated by independent academic investigators and published in peer-reviewed journals. In commenting on the development, Martin D. Cleary, Company President and CEO said, "This patent solidifies Juvaris' leadership position in the development of important new immunotherapeutics using lipids combined with either plasmids or CpG sequences. With this notice of allowance, we now see ourselves as the gatekeeper in this important emerging field." "The Juvaris technology platforms will revolutionize the way in which the biotech industry perceives the interaction between cationic lipid-DNA complexes and the immune system. Juvaris scientists have convincingly demonstrated that these complexes are among the most immune stimulating substances ever considered for use in therapeutic vaccines" said John F. Warner, Ph.D. the Company's Chief Scientific Officer. About Juvaris Juvaris BioTherapeutics was created in 2002 to develop an immunotherapeutic treatment platform for infectious diseases, cancer and bioterrorist threats using lipid-DNA complexes. The DNA in these complexes does not code for protein; instead, through a synergistic effect of being complexed with lipids, it strongly stimulates the immune system. In preclinical studies, these complexes have been shown to be at least 50-times more potent at triggering innate immune activation and interferon release than current immune stimulants. Research conducted at Juvaris BioTherapeutics and Colorado State University has also demonstrated that this system, when combined with antigens, produces extremely effective disease-specific vaccines. Immunological responses elicited by the lipid-DNA complexes have been successfully demonstrated in a variety of mammals including rodents, rabbits, cats, dogs, goats, and non-human primates. The Company encourages investment and partnering inquiries and can be reached at its web site @ www.juvaris.com. Company Contact: |