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Australasian Biotechnology, Vol. 10 No. 6, 2000, pp. 10-16 BIOTECH BUSINESS Code Number: au00062
START-UP TARGETS BIOREMEDIATION Flinders University has spun off a start-up company, Flinders Bioremediation, providing seed capital of $75,000 a year to develop and commercialise new biological solutions to environmental problems. The company is developing bioremediation techniques using bacteria and other living organisms to treat soil pollutants such as organochlorine and pesticides. It is one of the few companies in the world successfully using composting as a bioremediation process for full-scale commercial application. Flinders Bioremediation was established in 1999 and now has five staff. TAXPAYERS SAVE MILLIONS - ST GEORGE CLOSES SYNDICATESThe Minister for Industry, Science and Resources, Senator Nick Minchin, on 8 November welcomed the decision by St George Bank Limited to completely close its involvement in the R&D syndication scheme. St George committed to stop seeking deductions for R&D syndicates in which it was an investor, following discussions with the Commonwealth Government business unit AusIndustry. Senator Minchin said the estimated amount of tax deductions foregone was about $18 million. “The savings to taxpayers will be about $7 million,” he said. The Commonwealth Government closed the R&D syndication scheme in July 1996 and replaced it with the R&D Start grants and loans program. VICTORIAN DELEGATION TO BIO 2001A delegation representing Victoria’s biotechnology industry, and lead by the Treasurer and Minister for State and Regional Development John Brumby, will participate in BIO 2001, taking place in San Diego between June 24 and June 27 next year. The annual BIO conference and exhibition is considered to be one of the most important biotechnology events on the international calender, and BIO 2001 will see over 800 biotechnology companies and organisations exhibiting and over 10,000 delegates taking part in a range of networking and business matching activities. The Victorian Department of State and Regional Development (DSRD) will coordinate Victoria’s presence at the biotechnology event, teaming up with the Federal Government, other States and Territories and local government to deliver a “Team Australia” approach to the exhibition. Earlier this year, 13 Victorian companies and research institutions joined DRSD at BIO 2000, with 9 organisations choosing to exhibit. Greater numbers are expected for BIO 2001, with the Victorian Government again providing assistance to a limited number of organisations taking part in the delegation. The Biotechnology Industry Organisation (BIO) is the world’s largest association representing the global biotechnology industry. Based in the USA, BIO represents more than 850 biotechnology companies, academic institutions, state biotechnology centres and related organisations in 47 states and 26 nations. Contact Dr Andrea Huggins on (03) 9651 9399 or e-mail andrea.huggins@dsrd.vic.gov.au More information on BIO 2001 can be obtained at www.bio.org ANALYTICA TARGETS US$100 BILLION PESTICIDE MARKETAnalytica Limited has announced that it will shortly commence scale-up for the production of a biopesticide produced in vitro which will compete with chemical pesticides. The worldwide market for chemical pesticides is estimated to be worth about US$100 billion and demand for biofriendly pesticides will exceed supply for years to come. Analytica [ASX: ALT] owns the technology for the large-scale manufacture of safe and insect-specific biopesticides. The technology has US EPA (Environmental Protection Authority) approval and registration. Analytica’s first product, Galaxy V4C, is specifically designed for commercially grown garden vegetables, eg cabbage, bok choy etc, and is expected to be on sale in the US within the next 12-24 months. Revenue from the sales of Galaxy V4C is expected to generate in excess of US$7.5 million net in the first 12 months. That will be achieved by supplying only a fraction of the demand for vegetable crop protection, which is estimated to be worth US$280 million per annum worldwide. “Countries such as the USA, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China and Australia are particularly concerned about the potentially catastrophic effect of chemical pesticides leaching into soil and waterways,” said Analytica CEO, Mr Robert Reardon. “This is certainly the case with cotton pesticides flowing into the Murray-Darling Basin. “In fact, Brazil was so concerned it banned the use of traditional chemical pesticides in 1988 and is already using biopesticides to protect its soy crop.” The technology to produce biofriendly biopesticides has been available for some time, but the problem has been producing it in quantities that would make it cost effective. Analytica has a worldwide lead in the technology to generate commercially viable quantities. Production of Galaxy V4C will be undertaken in Taiwan, which has a reputation for low-cost, world-class production. “The technology and the world-leading scientific authorities involved, position Analytica at least two years ahead of possible start up, or competitor companies,” said Mr Reardon. Analytica is a biotechnology intellectual property portfolio manager that is also involved in developing therapeutic drugs from both natural and synthetic sources, three of which are in the pre-clinical phases. YALE UNIVERSITY GRANTS AXON INSTRUMENTS EXCLUSIVE LICENSEAxon Instruments, Inc, (ASX: AXN), developer of instrumentation and software for genomics and high throughput screening for drug discovery, announced today that Yale University had granted Axon an exclusive worldwide license for a revolutionary high-throughput patch clamp technology. This follows the company’s October announcement of a nine-month after-tax profit of $4.6 million (up from $0.4 million in the same period in 1999), on sales of $39.8 million (up from $20.5 million). Axon’s cash position at the end of the quarter was $65.0 million. The Yale technology is the first with the potential to record electrical currents from a thousand mammalian cells in parallel. These electrical currents are important for studying medical disorders including high blood pressure, migraine, epilepsy, irregular heartbeat and cystic fibrosis. The company believes that the new instrumentation and consumables technology will speed up drug screening used in the development of new pharmaceuticals. The worldwide market for drug screening technologies and services is in the billions of dollars. As part of the agreement, Axon will fund ongoing research into the technology at Yale University. Axon has secured the rights to license and commercialise any downstream technology developed from this research. The inventors of the new technology are Dr Kathryn Klemic and Professor Frederick Sigworth from Yale’s Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, and Dr James Klemic and Professor Mark Reed from the Department of Electrical Engineering and Applied Physics. They have developed a new fabrication method for electrodes used in patch-clamp recording of ionic currents. Based on this advance, inexpensive electrode and amplifier arrays can be microfabricated. The electrode arrays can be used to record from standard cultured mammalian cell lines. “A highly parallel electrode array makes possible multiple, simultaneous, single-cell electrical recordings,” said Dr Sigworth. “Both single-channel and whole-cell currents can be measured with high fidelity. The high parallelism increases the throughput of patch-clamp screening by several orders of magnitude, enabling industrial-scale screening of pharmaceutical agents.” BIOTA ADVISES OF SHIFT IN UK AUTHORITIES APPROVALBiota Holdings Limited (ASX:BTA) has announced that the health authorities in the United Kingdom, are now recommending reimbursement under the National Health Scheme for patients prescribed Relenza (zanamivir for inhalation) for the treatment of influenza. This represents a reversal of a decision taken by the same authorities a year ago. Chief Executive of Biota, Dr Hugh Niall said, “This is a very positive step in further developing the market for Relenza. We have always been confident about the value of Relenza to influenza sufferers but realise that it takes time and on occasions additional data for regulators around the world to accept new products. In another recent development Biota Holdings has announced that Relenza has been launched in Japan, timed to coincide with the onset of the Japanese influenza season. Relenza is now available in over 48 countries, including the major markets United States, the European Union and Japan. These three markets alone account for about 85% of the world’s pharmaceutical market, with Japan representing approximately 20%. In a separate event, the Japanese Industrial Design Promotion Organisation has awarded the Relenza Diskhaler two design awards. One is for the “Product Design and Personal-Use Product” categories and the other is a “New Therapeutic Area Design Award”. The Relenza Diskhaler was recognised for its novelty as an inhaler for treating influenza, as well as for its ease of use. BIOTECH INTERNATIONAL RECEIVES USDA APPROVALBiotech International Limited has secured approval by the US Department of Agriculture of a rapid test for heartworm disease in cats. The test kit is produced by Biotech International subsidiary Agen Biomedical Ltd. The test, Witness®, was developed by Agen in collaboration with Synbiotics USA and will be sold to vets alongside the Witness Canine Heartworm test and other tests in the Witness range. The company has appointed Coca-Cola Amatil executive Jeff Carter as Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer. Reporting to the Board, Mr Carter will coordinate all group business activities. He will take up his new position on 1 December. BII CLOT IMAGING PROJECT UPDATEBrisbane-based diagnostic manufacturer AGEN Biomedical Ltd, a subsidiary of Biotech International Limited (ASX: BII), says that it has commenced animal studies to select suitable 3B6 antibody clone lines and has an international team with scientific and commercial expertise in readiness to move its blood clot imaging project into the next phase. When available for sale, AGEN’s clot imaging project, Thromboview, is expected to take more than 10% of the estimated A$500 million world wide market. AGEN scientists have developed an antibody, 3B6, which is linked to a radioactive tracer. This produces a signal when it attaches to a blood clot and the patient is put through an imaging machine. Doctors then have a clear idea of the location of the blood clot. The original AGEN antibody has been re-designed by molecular engineering to remove the possibility of side effects in humans due to mouse antibodies. Animal studies are currently under way at the University of California San Diego to identify suitable clone candidates to produce the humanised antibody for the project. The completion for these studies is expected in January 2001. Assuming a successful outcome, AGEN this week concluded an agreement with Dr Paul Eisenberg, a US specialist in cardiovascular medicine, to advise on the project. Effective clinical trial design and management is also crucial to the project. Under an agreement with Agen earlier this month, Kendle Pty Ltd, a Melbourne-based clinical research organisation, is preparing a development plan for advancement of the project. GENESIS EVIDENCE ILLUSTRATES BENEFITS OF GENETIC DISCOVERYContinued development of a well-regulated GM sector will make a major contribution to New Zealand’s future growth, the country’s leading biotechnology discovery company, Genesis Research and Development Corporation Limited, told the Royal Commission on Genetic Modification. Presenting the Genesis submission, the Head of Human Resources, Dr Arie Geursen, said that many drugs, vaccines and medical diagnostics had been developed in the health biotechnology industry using genetic modification, often providing safer alternatives than existing products. He also noted that success in health technology could be extended into New Zealand primary industries to add value to commodity industries and benefit the environment. METABOLIC PHARMACEUTICALSMetabolic will seek approval from the ethics committee of the clinical trials unit at its UK-based clinical trials contractor for the conduct of a Phase I human clinical trial of AOD9604. The planned Phase I trial will be a single dose intravenous study. The desired endpoint of the study is the demonstration that the drug is safe after a single administration. All preparations for this trial are currently proceeding for the trial to commence in late January or early February 2001. First results should be available about eight to ten weeks after commencement. This intravenous administration study will then be followed by oral and multiple dose Phase I studies. The company is assessing the potential veterinary applications of the AOD technology, and is initially investigating its application to reduction of back fat in pigs. Metabolic now has small quantities of a prototype genetically engineered food additive produced under contract at CSIRO which on preliminary investigation appears to contain useful quantities of AOD. Further laboratory analysis is under way. Testing of the prototype food additive in pigs or other large animals will require a scale-up step which is currently being planned and the expected timeframe will be known shortly. PRANA BIOTECHNOLOGYProfessor Ashley Bush, a founding member of Prana’s Scientific Advisory Board, presented a potential treatment for Alzheimer’s disease at the Society for Neuroscience 30th Annual Meeting in New Orleans in November. Research by Professor Bush and his team has shown that excess zinc and copper in the brain causes ABeta to accumulate into the lesions found in the brain of the patient suffering from Alzheimer’s disease (“Alzheimer’s”). The brain accumulates high concentrations of zinc, copper and iron in the regions affected by Alzheimer’s. Professor Bush found that the drug known as PBT1, which traps and assists in disposal of excess copper and zinc, profoundly reduces ABeta accumulation in the brains of transgenic mice. The drug had no detectable adverse side effects on the mice and, on a general behavioral rating scale, the PBT1-treated mice performed better after three weeks of treatment than placebo-treated mice. Professor Bush says that this study raises new possibilities about the way that ABeta is deposited. “The dominant target has been to shut down the production of ABeta altogether. Our results suggest that the approach pursued by many other researchers may not be the only way to treat Alzheimer’s,” Professor Bush said. Professor Bush and his colleagues are currently investigating ways to optimize the effects of the drug and determine the minimum and maximum safe dosages. Clinical trials have begun at the University of Melbourne. The investigators are looking not only to halt the decline that accompanies Alzheimer’s, but also to detect improvements in brain function. The trials are conducted by Professor Colin Masters, who is Head of the Department of Pathology at the University of Melbourne, Chief of Neuropathology and Director of Research Laboratories at the Mental Health Research Institute of Victoria and Consultant in Pathology at the Royal Melbourne Hospital and is sponsored by Prana Biotechnology. Professor Masters is a Director of Prana Biotechnology and chair of the Company’s Scientific Advisory Board. Approximately 36 patients will participate in a double-blind phase 2 clinical trial of the drug (over a nine-month interval) at the Mental Health Research Institute of Victoria, and the University of Melbourne. The patients are all moderately affected by Alzheimer’s, but still live independently and are able to give informed consent. Results will not be known for at least another 12 months. The Directors of Prana Biotechnology have proposed that the company proceed with the establishment of a Level 1 American Depository Receipt (“ADR”) program which will provide over the counter trading of Prana Biotechnology’s ADRs. Soon after Prana anticipates a National Association of Security Dealers Automated Quotation (“NASDAQ”) listing in the latter part of calendar 2001. Prana Biotechnology’s intellectual property portfolio has largely derived from research at Massachusetts General Hospital at Harvard Medical School and is beginning to attract a significant level of enquiry from US-based investors. For this purpose, Prana Biotechnology has retained New York-based GTH Capital Inc. as US strategic and corporate advisors. PROGEN INDUSTRIES TRIALProgen Industries Ltd announced recently that recruiting had ceased for its Phase 1b trial of P1-88 in cancer, and that the company is planning Phase 11 trials for commencement in 2001 as previously communicated. The Phase 1b trial data is being analysed, and the results from this trial and the healthy volunteer study currently being conducted in the United Kingdom will be used in the design of Progen’s Phase 11 cancer trials. The Phase 1b trial in cancer patients was performed under an Investigational New Drug (IND) application with the United States Food and Drug Administration and the Clinical Trial Notification Scheme (CTN) with the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration. The purpose of the Phase 1b trial was to assess the safety and tolerability of P1-88 in advanced stage cancer patients. A healthy volunteer study is currently in progress in the UK to investigate the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetic profile of P1-88 when delivered subcutaneously. The advantages of administering P1-88 subcutaneously for chronic cancer treatment include patient compliance. Patients will have the potential to self-administer the drug with minimum discomfort, similar to insulin injections. STEM CELL SCIENCES PATENTStem Cell Sciences Ltd, a Melbourne based biotechnology company, announced recently that the US Patent and Trademarks Office had granted the University of Edinburgh patented technology now known as ‘Stem Cell Selection’. Stem Cell Sciences has an exclusive license to the US patent which provides a method for the purification of any mammalian stem cell type including neural, blood, liver, muscle, pancreatic, cartilage and embryonic stem cells. The patent claims also cover cells isolated by the Stem-Cell Selection method. Stem cells are the key cellular resource needed to deliver a range of cell-based therapies for debilitating human diseases including Parkinson’s disease and diabetes. Dr Peter Mountford, CEO of Stem Cell Sciences said, “a significant advantage of the patented technology is that it now allows the company to produce purified preparations of virtually any stem cell type. This provides Stem Cell Sciences with a faster track to the clinic with what we believe will be a safer end product than our competitors”. Stem Cell Sciences is combining Stem Cell Selection with other proprietary technologies of it’s Embryonic Stem (ES) cell platform. ES cells are pluripotent stem cells that can be grown indefinitely in the laboratory whilst still retaining the ability to form all cell types found in the body. Stem Cell Sciences Ltd was established in 1994 to develop human therapeutics based on SCS’ leading position in ES cell technology. Stem Cell Sciences has forged a number of collaborative agreements with major biopharmaceutical companies, including Aventis (France), SmithKline Beecham (UK), Curagen (USA) and BioTransplant Inc (USA). GROPEP LIMITEDListed Australian biopharmaceutical company GroPep Limited has won an international challenge against a patent it lodged in Europe for a product which could offer a potential treatment for “short gut syndrome”. GroPep’s Managing Director, Dr John Ballard, told the company’s Annual General Meeting that the European Patent Office had rejected a challenge brought against the GroPep patent by the Dutch company Nutricia. Short-gut syndrome is a condition in which most of the gut is removed, usually after massive intestinal surgery, which leaves the patient in need of intravenous nutrition. Pre-clinical trials have indicated that the product under patent may assist patients with this condition. Dr Ballard said the company also expected to commence two new clinical trials during 2001, one for the treatment of tendon injuries following the successful horse trial of tendotrophin and a second through an in-licensing opportunity. BIONOMICS LTDBionomics Limited, the Adelaide-based genomics company, announced that it had completed a patent filing covering a gene on human chromosome 16 which may be associated with breast cancer. This gene, referred to as TSG16, was described in a provisional patent lodged in October 1999 by the Women’s and Children’s Hospital, and exclusively licensed to Bionomics. Dr Deborah Rathjen, Chief Executive Officer of Bionomics, said that “Continuing research suggests that this gene may be linked to a significant pathway controlling the growth and proliferation of cells. Disruption of components of this pathway may lead to the development of cancer.” Breast cancer is the leading cause of death in women between 40 and 50 years of age with the lifetime risk factor for developing the disease being up to 1 in 10. In Australia alone, more than 8,500 women are diagnosed with breast cancer annually, with 2,600 dying each year. Dr Rathjen commented further that “Research work is actively progressing to confirm and extend these findings in breast cancer. In addition, the patent filed in November protects the use of TSG16 in the treatment of other serious conditions involving abnormal cellular proliferation such as psoriasis and scarring which occurs during wound healing.” MSDA PURCHASES AMRAD PHARMACEUTICALSThe AMRAD Corporation Limited (AMRAD) has agreed to sell its 55% ownership of AMRAD Pharmaceuticals to Merck Sharp & Dohme (Australia) Pty Limited (MSDA). In the transaction AMRAD will receive $20.75 million for its shareholding and to license the AMRAD Pharmaceuticals name for an initial period of five years. Payment will be made over four years. The completion of the contract is subject to due diligence and regulatory and other approvals. AMRAD Pharmaceuticals was set up in 1998 as a joint venture between AMRAD and MSDA (with 45% ownership) to conduct sales and marketing of MSDA-licensed medicines, as well as products licensed from third parties. The transaction will add greatly to AMRAD’s ability to fund future pharmaceutical research and development. It concludes the final stage of AMRAD’s year-long strategy to consolidate business activities and focus resources solely on its core business: pharmaceutical research and development. The sale will not affect existing arrangements with researchers and research institutes, nor international collaborations on AMRAD’s development projects. MSDA will continue to be a shareholder of AMRAD Corporation Limited. AMRAD Pharmaceuticals has a solid 12-year history of growth. This acquisition enables MSDA to continue its contribution to Australian pharmaceutical research through the licensing of the AMRAD Pharmaceuticals name, while supporting AMRAD’s business strategy. AMRAD Pharmaceuticals will continue to operate under its current name and market its existing product range, which includes the cholesterol-lowering medicine LIPEX* (simvastatin), the antihypertensives PRINIVIL* (lisinopril) and AMPRACE* (enalapril), peptic ulcer treatment AMFAMOX* (famotidine), and cancer treatment GRANOCYTE* (lenograstim) (subject to Chugai approval). EXODUS ENTERS VENTURE CAPITAL GAMEMinerals exploration company, Exodus Minerals Limited, has established an investment company, InQbate, which will provide capital for new life-sciences projects, particularly in the medical research and healthcare fields. In its first investment, InQbate has acquired a 15% interest in Perth-based MS Biotechnology, which is developing a diagnostic tool for multiple sclerosis. Subject to the success of the research InQbate may acquire a further 25% interest. Based at Murdoch University, MS Biotechnology is investigating evidence that there is a viral link in the development of MS, which could lead to the development of an early diagnosis tool and new therapeutic and prophylactic drugs. Research leader, Professor Bob Cook, discovered a novel morbillivirus in lesions in brains from MS sufferers. Exodus will fund MS Biotechnology to culture and harvest the MSM virus using a proven novel technique, identify and produce a unique antigen from the MSM virus that will capture antibodies to the MSM virus in MS patient blood, develop an automated assay for the detection of antibodies against the MSM virus in MS patients, and evaluate the effectiveness of the diagnostic tool. The acquisition by InQbate was made through an agreement with Perth-based investment firm, CapTel Biotechnology, to acquire CapTel’s rights for a cash payment of $300,000 for an initial 5% interest in MS Biotechnology and a further payment of $200,000 cash and the issue of 3.5 million Exodus shares on successful completion of sequencing sufficient viral DNA to allow development of a unique assay to earn a further 10%. Exodus will increase its stake in MS Biotechnology to 25% through the issue of 3.5 million Exodus shares on the successful development of a blood test for MS. CapTel retains an option to acquire a further 15% interest in MS Biotechnology and if exercised will provide Exodus an option to acquire that interest. MICROMEDICAL RESULTMedical instrument manufacturer, MicroMedical Industries has announced a loss of $3.06 million for 1999-2000, following a loss of $3.29 in the previous year. Chairman of Micromedical, John Massey, attributed the loss largely to investment in research and development. The VentrAssist artificial heart is scheduled for human clinical trials next year, with animal trials at the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne continuing to prove the technology. The device, developed in conjunction with the University of Technology Sydney, is initially planned as a ‘bridge to recovery’ although it may be used as an alternative to transplant as the testing program continues. The Cardiac e-Health Division, which manufactures products for the emergency, defence, airline, home healthcare and veterinary markets, achieved sales of $2.27 million, up from $2.14 million in the previous year. In may this year, investors in an R&D syndicate set up to commercialise MicroMedical technology announced that they wanted to terminate the arrangements and not proceed to commercialisation, and Micro- Medical was required to purchase all of the shares in Calacon Pty Ltd, a company established to hold the core technology, at a cost of over $5 million. However, Mr Massey said that MicroMedical was better positioned than in the past, with money in the bank, growing sales and the impending clinical trials. CSL HEAD MOVES TO THE USCSL Limited has announced that Managing Director, Dr Brian McNamee, will move to Los Angeles to oversee the US marketing of products from the recently-acquired ZLB-Bioplasma business. ZLB, the plasma fractionation business of Rotkreuzstiftung Zentrallaboratorium Blutspendedienst SRK, a foundation of the Swiss Red Cross, was bought by CSL for $696.4 million in August. Explaining the move, CSL said the US market was central to the future of the company, including the activities of CSL Animal Health and JRH Biosciencies. However, Dr McNamee will retain his responsibilities as CEO of the whole group, and the Head Office for CSL will remain at Parkville, Victoria. ALCHEMIA AND DOW IN MANUFACTURING DEALThe Dow Chemical Company and Brisbane based biotechnology company, Alchemia, have announced a research and manufacturing alliance to develop manufacturing capabilities for carbohydrate-based pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals based on Alchemia’s proprietary technology in the area of carbohydrate chemistry. Many potential carbohydrate drugs cannot be sourced naturally, and the acceptance of synthetic carbohydrates in pharmaceutical and other markets has been limited largely by the lack of cost-effective production methods. Alchemia focuses on the synthesis of carbohydrates as potential therapeutic, diagnostic and prophylactic agents for a variety of diseases, and the alliance with Dow is seen as a major step towards overcoming the commercial hurdles that have hindered the development of carbohydrate-based therapeutics. The first molecule targeted for development and production is a trisaccharide that has several different clinical applications including prevention of Clostridium difficile associated diarrhoea, as well as prevention of organ rejection in xenotransplantation. Under the alliance, Alchemia will receive an up-front payment for exclusivity and milestone and process-improvement payments from Dow. Dow and Alchemia will share profits generated by the alliance. Underscoring the company’s growth prospects, Alchemia is seeking to employ an additional 18 scientists in the near future, which will go close to doubling its existing staff. The company is seeking combinatorial and carbohydrate research chemists and biochemists at its Brisbane premises. BIOTECH CONFERENCEMarcus Evans Conferences is staging a conference next March entitled Current Trends in the BioTechnology Industry. Speakers will include Dr Brad Walsh from the Australian Proteome Analysis Facility; Dr Lesley Borowitzka, Chair of the Technology and Innovation Advisory Committee on Biotechnology, and Elizabeth Cain, Head of the interim office of the Gene Technology Regulator. The conference will be held in Sydney between March 27-28. For more details, tel 02 9223 2137 BIOTECH PROFITBiotech International has recorded a net profit of $3.4 million from revenue of $27 million for 1999-2000 from its subsidiaries Agen, Biotech Pharmaceuticals and Industrial Biosystems. Agen reported total sales of over $14 million, while Biotech Pharmaceuticals, of which Biotech International owns 64.2%, generated sales of $11.2 million. Industrial Biosystems (in partnership with a company in India) has been attempting to commercialise a product, B230, to improve the bleachability of paper pulp. However, progress has been delayed by problems with the manufacturing of the enzymes in India, and Biotech International is currently reviewing the viability of the project. Another wholly-owned subsidiary, Jemaka, manufactures and distributes biological products to the life sciences markets, with the major product an enzyme under licence from Hoffmann La Roche. Biotech International is looking to acquire similar technologies or to merge or sell Jemaka. PLANS TO COMMERCIALISE PEPTECH TECHNOLOGYPeptech Ltd has signed an agreement with the Womens and Children’s Hospital (WCH), Adelaide, for SCH to negotiate the commercialisation of the Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid (PUFA) technology which has been developed collaboratively with Peptech over the past seven years. While naturally occurring PUFAs, such as Omega 3, have been long known to possess a range of beneficial health properties, their therapeutic potential is limited largely because they are unstable. The WCH-Peptech research and development program has produced modified PUFA molecules with much greater stability. The technology is protected by a number of patents in Australia, Europe, US, Canada and Asia. The key areas where the technology is likely to be applied are in the modulation of the immune system, and new PUFA-based compounds with the ability to suppress inflammation have been identified. Other new PUFA-based compounds have been demonstrated to selectively improve immune responses, especially infection-fighting mechanisms where these compounds would be used to treat conditions such as cystic fibrosis where the body’s ability to combat infections is greatly diminished. Compounds are also under development for applications including analgesic and cardio-protective effects. MINING COMPANY SEES GOLD IN BIOTECHNOLOGYGenetic Technologies Limited, has begun recruiting scientists to accelerate its development projects, and is planning to appoint senior commercial staff to negotiate new deals with commercial and academic institutions in the genomics area . Genetic Technologies was officially formed in August with the merger of the listed Australian company, Duketon Goldfields Limited with the privately-held Swiss company, Gene Type A.G. which was founded 1989 by Australian immunogeneticist, Dr. Malcolm Simons and medical practitioner Dr. Mervyn Jacobson (now Chairman of Genetic Technologies Limited). GeneType’s aim was to establish that the non-coding region of the human HLA gene complex on chromosome 6 was a reservoir of useful genetic information and ultimately to exploit it for profit. Broad patents have since been issued to GeneType in all major countries. In 1997, GeneType was awarded a $3.5 million R&D Start Grant for the GeneType Haplotyping Project which aimed to develop a new generation of DNA HLA testing procedures, based on the GeneType proprietary discovery. The project is now two-thirds through its 3-year program at the GeneType Melbourne laboratory. The GeneType patent portfolio includes fundamental claims enabling the development of new diagnostic tests in histocompatibility, immunology and cancer. A second GeneType patent will be developed to enable recovery of foetal cells from a blood sample drawn from a pregnant mother’s arm, as an alternative to amniocentesis. Melbourne-based Genetic Technologies Limited is developing a process called RareCellect™, based on the company’s proprietary foetal cell recovery procedure, in collaboration with US company, Cytomation Inc, and researchers at the Murdoch Institute and Monash University. The RareCellect™ process differentiates between the mother’s blood cells and those originating from the foetus. A high-speed cell sorter separates the foetal cells, which can then be tested for abnormalities. Cytomation will provide $1 million financial support to Genetic Technologies, including the provision of a state-of-the-art high-speed MoFlo™ cell sorter to be located in Melbourne. According to Genetic Technologies’ executive chairman, Dr Mervyn Jacobson, the new approach will make foetal testing safer and far more accessible to all expectant mothers. Some 250,000 babies are born in Australia each year. If just 30% of these expectant mothers took advantage of this procedure, Genetic Technologies or its licensees would perform some 75,000 tests per year in Australia alone. Licensing the procedure globally would increase these projections more than a hundred-fold. There are currently two procedures available to pregnant women for obtaining samples from the foetus to test for genetic abnormalities. Both are invasive surgical procedures and involve potential risks to both the mother and unborn child. “The two available options for today’s expectant mothers include amniocentesis and chorionic villus biopsy (CVB). In amniocentesis, a needle is inserted through the mother’s belly to remove a small sample of the fluid, which surrounds her unborn child. The CVB method involves the cutting of tissue from the placental wall,” Dr Jacobson said. The Genetic Technologies breakthrough is based on the discovery that a very small number of foetal cells exist in a mother’s blood stream - less than one foetal cell per 500,000 maternal cells - and can survive in the body for many years. “RareCellect™ allows us to locate these cells, separate them from maternal blood cells and then test them for any genetic abnormalities,” Dr Jacobson said. Genetic Technologies’ development of the breakthrough procedure is being supported by US firm Cytomation Inc., known for making the world’s fastest flow cytometers - instruments that sort and count cells for medical research. The Murdoch Institute will assist at the clinical level with validation of the new test. Genetic Technologies Limited was formed in August 2000 by the merging of the privately held Swiss company, Gene Type AG, and a publicly listed Australian company. Gene Type, established in 1989, has a strong intellectual property portfolio in genetics and genomics, and a proven track record in DNA testing services in Australia. Dr Mervyn Jacobson was appointed executive chairman of Genetic Technologies at the time of the merger. Genetic Technologies Website: www.gtg.com.au GENE TECHNOLOGY INFORMATION SERVICEThe Commonwealth Government has set up a free-call Gene Technology Information Service to provide factual and balanced information about gene technology and biotechnology to the community. The service can provide information sheets on GM foods, regulation, health and safety aspects, risks and benefits of gene technology and frequently asked questions. Call 1800 631 276. AMRAD BEGINS RESEARCH ON ASTHMA THERAPY IL-13R is a common subunit of the IL-4 Type 11 receptor and IL-13 Type 1 receptor complex. An antagonist of IL-13R could therefore reduce responses to both IL-4 and IL-13 thereby ameliorating the symptoms of asthma. Asthma is a major public health problem worldwide and growing. In Australia, it is one of the 10 most common reasons for visiting a general practitioner and some A$585 to A$720 million is spent annually to treat asthma in this country1. In 1998, estimated healthcare costs associated with asthma treatment in the US amounted to US$11.3 billion2. In Australia, asthma affects 1 in 4 children, 1 in 7 adolescents and 1 in 10 adults, or more than around 2 million Australians1. The disease is chronic and requires a lifelong commitment to medication and behaviour management. Asthma may also lead to very serious life-threatening attacks. AMRAD, in collaboration with the Cooperative Research Centre for Cellular Growth Factors (CRC-CGF), is fast-tracking its discovery project, NR4. Recent studies have shown that production of the growth factor IL-13, a natural hormone produced in the body by cells of the airway, may directly lead to the symptoms of asthma. Therefore, an inhibitor or molecule that could block these effects would have the potential to inhibit the severe symptoms that accompany an asthma attack. A key molecule in this process is the IL-13 receptor. IL-13 must bind to this receptor to generate the symptoms of asthma. This receptor was discovered in collaboration with researchers at the CRC-CGF. Code named NR4, (Novel Receptor 4) this receptor was isolated as part of a program to isolate novel cytokine receptors. The interaction of IL-13 with this receptor represents a novel target for asthma therapy. Dr Andrew Nash, AMRAD’s Cytokine Program Manager, said, “the recent findings imply a key role for IL-13 in asthma. This provides AMRAD with a unique opportunity to develop an exciting new therapeutic strategy for asthma.” Finding an inhibitor able to block the actions of IL-13 is an important research project within AMRAD’s drug discovery program. “If all goes well, the project may deliver a new drug development candidate within the next year,” predicted Dr Jonathan Coates, Head of Drug Discovery at AMRAD. 1: National Asthma Campaign statistics for Australia. Copyright 2000 - Australasian Biotechnology
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