HILLSIDE, N.J., April 30, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- InB:Biotechnologies, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Integrated BioPharma, Inc. (Nasdaq:INBP), announced today that prototypes of the Company's influenza subunit vaccines provided complete protection against infection in the ferret challenge model and proved highly immunogenic in a mouse model. The ferret model is the industry standard for studying influenza infections and for testing flu vaccine candidates.
The studies were performed at the Fraunhofer USA Center for Molecular Biotechnology (CMB) in Newark, Delaware in collaboration with Dr. Vidadi Yusibov, and the results were published in the respected, peer-reviewed journals Vaccine and Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses.
In the first published report of immunizing ferrets with plant-produced recombinant influenza antigens, portions of hemagglutinin (HA) from the H3N2 strain of influenza were expressed as fusions with the Company's proprietary carrier molecule and tested with and without the addition of H3N2 neuraminidase (NA) antigen. The protective efficacy of the plant-produced HA and NA antigens was assessed in immunized ferrets by intranasal challenge with live egg-grown H3N2 virus. All vaccinated animals in the study were protected from disease as measured by several influenza-related symptoms (Mett et al. (2008) A plant-produced influenza subunit vaccine protects ferrets against virus challenge. Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses 2(1), 33-40).
In the experiments published in Vaccine, full-length HA antigen from the same influenza virus strain was produced in plants. Immunized mice mounted significant serum hemagglutination inhibition (HI) and virus neutralizing (VN) antibody titers. The results demonstrate that plant-produced HA protein can induce target-specific immunity that correlate with protection (Shoji Y, et al., Plant-expressed HA as a seasonal influenza vaccine candidate, Vaccine, online 9 April 2008).
The final set of preclinical experiments is currently underway in ferrets to determine minimal protective dose and to evaluate alternate dose regimens for full-length HA vaccine candidates directed against current strains of seasonal influenza and highly-pathogenic avian influenza viruses.
"The successful completion of this first challenge study in ferrets is an important step in moving our seasonal and pandemic flu subunit vaccine candidates toward human clinical trials, projected to begin in 2009," said Robert Erwin, President of InB:Biotechnologies. "These data also demonstrate the potential of our plant-based manufacturing technology to address increasing global demand for flu vaccine."
InB:Biotechnologies, in collaboration with Fraunhofer USA CMB, has developed the iBioLaunch(tm) platform for the accelerated development and manufacture of vaccine antigens in non-genetically-modified green plants. This technology offers significant advantages of speed, surge capacity and cost over egg-based and cell culture-based approaches to meet growing demand for seasonal and pandemic flu vaccines. The iBioLaunch(tm) platform is also being used to develop vaccines and therapeutics against human papilloma virus (HPV), malaria, plague, anthrax and other pathogens of public health significance.
Further information is available at www.inb-biotechnologies.com
About Integrated BioPharma Inc. (INBP)
Integrated BioPharma is a unique grouping of companies presently serving the varied needs of the health care industry. Through its nutraceutical business, the Company creates, develops, manufactures and markets products worldwide. The Company's biotechnology business uses its patented plant-based technology to produce vaccines and therapeutic antibodies. Its pharmaceutical business operates a cGMP facility for the production and sale of Paclitaxel and related drugs and provides technical services through its contract research organization. Further information is available at www.ibiopharma.com.
Statements included in this release related to Integrated BioPharma, Inc. may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties such as competitive factors, technological development, market demand, and the company's ability to obtain new contracts and accurately estimate net revenues due to variability in size, scope and duration of projects, and internal issues in the sponsoring client. Further information on potential risk factors that could affect the company's financial results can be found in the company's Reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.