FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla., Nov. 13, 2003 (PRIMEZONE) -- Tekron, Inc. (OTCBB:TKRN) is proceeding to partner and negotiate licensing for the products and technology platform of Biovirus. Biovirus is using its proprietary mathematical technology platform and immunologic expertise to build a library of novel, synthetic antigens because it believes that such antigens will be the key active component(s) of future preventative and therapeutic vaccine products. Biovirus is further committed to partnering with innovative developers and marketers of pharmaceutical and diagnostic products with the goal of making its products available to patients around the world. The Company's principal offices are located in Reno, Nevada.
The Company has developed several antigens that have exhibited unique immunogenic responses to multiple herpes viruses. The Company's technology is different from what was tried before. These are the first vaccines that we know that are not developed from the actual viruses, but calculated from viral genomes. The peptides are synthetic, short and were developed using new ideas in genetics and virology. They show new and exciting properties that were never seen before:
Cross reactivity -- antigens have shown immunogenic responses against multiply viruses; the possibility exists that a single antigen might be approved for use as a vaccine for distinctly different diseases. Current tests demonstrated that our peptides are capable of eliciting protective immune response against two different herpes viruses in two different species (Human Genital Herpes in mice and MDV in chicken). As far as we know, this is the first time such a broad protective anti-viral immune response was achieved.
This unique feature both broadens the Company's opportunities for successful trials as well as creating leverage for the Company's pre-clinical developments.
Safety -- vaccine components contain no viral of genetic material unlike traditional vaccines. Biovirus's antigens are comprised of short (25-28 amino acids) peptides that cannot replicate or otherwise infect that host organism.
Flexibility -- due to the cross reactive activity of the Company's antigens and their unique immunogenic responses, multiple antigens, either alone or in combination may form the basis for the vaccine(s). Our research has shown that different combinations behave in different ways thus creating the possibility of tunable or adaptable designs that do not require additional discovery. This is most certainly not the case with traditional viral vaccines.
Cost -- the manufacture of viral vaccines is time consuming and costly involving very skilled personnel. Biovirus' peptide-based vaccines can be manufactured using traditional chemical approaches that are both straightforward and inexpensive to produce and administer.
Short discovery cycle. Usually it takes months if not years to develop vaccine prototypes for new or mutated viruses. Our technology, which is based on genomic mathematics Herpes Virus and the Immune System.
The human herpes virus family comprises eight subtypes. In addition to the herpes simplex viruses HSV-1 and HSV-2, most notable among the family are Varicella-Zoster Virus (VZV) which causes chickenpox and shingles, Epstein Barr Virus (EBV), the causative agent in infectious mononucleosis as well as several cancers, and Cytomegalovirus (CNV), a leading cause of birth defects and severe morbidity or death in transplant patients. In addition to these direct infections or disease, herpes viruses have been implicated in a number of chronic conditions such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), multiple sclerosis and senile dementia.
Significant markets for herpes vaccines exist in veterinary applications. We will just mention Marek's disease, against which all chicken in the western worlds are vaccinated, equine herpes that causes stillbirth in horses (and some of these colts can cost millions of dollars), and very importantly -- companion animal herpes that affects dogs and cats and causes among other symptoms, blindness.
About Biovirus:
Biovirus Research Corporation is a privately held biopharmaceutical corporation that uses bioinformatics (computational genomics), functional genomics (gene function) and immunology for the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of herpes virus infections and their associated diseases. The company has used its proprietary bioinformatic platform to build a library of novel anti-herpetic peptide constructs that are the active components of several preventative and therapeutic vaccines.
Biovirus over the past 10 years has developed and patented the research discoveries of Dr. Daniel Golubev, renowned Russian virologist and former chair of the Department of Virology at Leningrad State University. Dr. Golubev, while in Russia, discovered the persistence of Influenza A virus, developed its vaccine, discovered a correlation between the herpetic virus genomes and DNA of atherosclerotic plaques and produced along with Alex Chaihorsky, President and CEO of Biovirus, a novel patented peptide vaccine towards Herpes Simplex type I and II. Biovirus developed a novel, mathematical approach in developing peptide vaccines that are non-viral, synthetic and polyvalent. Among other possibilities this approach can be used for extremely rapid development of multiple vaccine candidates. The estimated market for this product is approximately $300 Million per annum.
About Tekron:
Tekron Inc. is a holding company acquiring interests in high technology, medical and environmental biotechnology companies. This information contains certain forward-looking statements and information relating to the Company that are based on the beliefs of the Company or management as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company or management. When used in this document, the words "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect" and "intend" and similar expressions, as they relate to the Company or its management, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such statements reflect the current view of the Company regarding future events and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including the risks and uncertainties noted. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as anticipated, believed, estimated, expected or intended. In each instance, forward-looking information should be considered in light of the accompanying meaningful cautionary statements herein.