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Microscience Now Able to Deliver DNA Vaccines Orally

    WOKINGHAM, England, Sept. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Microscience -- the British
biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of innovative
vaccines -- has entered into an exclusive licence agreement with the
University System of Maryland (USM).  This grants them access to USM's
Bactofection DNA vaccine technology which will make it possible to deliver DNA
vaccines orally.
    The company will apply the rights acquired to the delivery of DNA from a
live bacterial vector in all fields, except HIV antigens which have been
retained by USM.  Microscience will now be in a position to use their oral
delivery system spi-VEC(1) (their proprietary bacterial vector) to facilitate
delivery of many different DNA antigens (DNA molecules encoding an antigen).
Taken orally spi-VEC vaccines induce a strong mucosal and systemic response.
    DNA antigens delivered by spi-VEC will be developed by Microscience as
vaccines to treat cancer and viral disease and also to prevent bacterial
infections.  This new licence gives rights to Microscience under patents
already granted in the USA and Europe.
    Commenting today Rod Richards, CEO of Microscience said "this licence
gives us a unique opportunity to expand the potential of our spi-VEC oral
delivery platform which will now be utilised to develop a range of DNA
vaccines.  This compliments our current oral spi-VEC vaccines in development
and gives Microscience the opportunity to enter the important and commercially
attractive area of cancer vaccines".
    Microscience will pay USM - which has entered the agreement through its
constituents the University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute (UMBI) and the
University of Maryland Baltimore -- an upfront licence fee, plus milestones
and royalties if the products based on the technology are successful.  The
parties have agreed not to disclose further financial details of the
agreement.
    UMBI President Jennie C. Hunter-Cevera says:  "We are pleased to establish
collaboration with Microscience.  They are an ideal partner to help UMBI
achieve its commercialisation objectives ".  Jim Hughes, UMB Vice President
for research and development says "We are proud that research begun here at
the university has developed into technology that may lead to new ways of
treating illness.  This agreement shows how private companies and biomedical
researchers can work together to advance science and provide new funding for
future research."

    Microscience is based in the UK near London where it has its own state of
the art laboratory and development facility.  The company's broad near term
portfolio of five vaccines are all entering clinical development.  These
include an oral vaccine to protect against Typhoid, another to prevent
Traveller's diarrhoea and a therapeutic vaccine for Hepatitis B.  Clinical
trials are also planned for two injectable preventative vaccines designed to
protect against Meningitis B and neonatal Group B Streptococcus infections.

    The University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute is a research
institution dedicated to intensive study into the basic science of
biotechnology and its application to human health, the marine environment,
agriculture and protein engineering.  Established in 1985 by the State of
Maryland, UMBI's five centres conduct research and training that provide a
core of expertise and facilities to advance the state's scientific and
economic development.

    Please call Jean Garon PR on (01628) 483040, fax: (01628) 486796 or
e-mail: jean@garonpr.demon.co.uk if you would like to interview Rod Richards
or receive further information.  You can visit Microscience's website at:
http://www.microscience.com.

    More information on UMBI is available from their website at:
http://umbi.umd.edu or contact Steve Berberich, Director of Marketing
Communications by telephone on +1 301 738 6295 or email at
berberic@umbi.umd.edu.


    Note to Editors

    1. spi-VEC -- Microscience's proprietary oral antigen delivery system --
is a technological extension of their oral Salmonella vaccine programmes.
These employ live bacteria from which genes have been deleted rendering them
unable to cause disease.  With spi-VEC it is possible to deliver a wide range
of protective and therapeutic antigens using controlled gene expression.  As a
new generation of oral vaccines they can induce both strong mucosal and
systemic immune responses.

    Following the agreement with USM, this now includes DNA antigens as well
as the protein antigens which Microscience are currently developing in the
spi-VEC system.  The three key advantages in delivering DNA orally via
spi-VEC, rather than by injection are that:

     * Oral delivery generates strong mucosal immunity.  This is believed to
       help prevent infection by many mucosally transmitted diseases.

     * Oral administration may improve patient compliance because it
       eliminates the discomfort of injections and other problems associated
       with needle exchange.

     * spi-VEC targets key immune cells and is believed to increase the
       efficiency with which the administered DNA stimulates an immune
       response.

    Information in this press release may include forward-looking statements,
which embrace risk and uncertainties.  However all information included in
this text is based on information available to our client at the time of
issue.  These statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual
results could differ materially from current expectations.

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