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01.12.2004 (World AIDS day), Press Release
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| NORDIC HIV VACCINE EXPERTS
WORK TOGETHER IN EUREKA PROJECT |
The Nordic HIV vaccine experts jointly announced today their participation in a
new EUREKA project. The aim of the project is to join the Nordic forces in order
to develop a therapeutic HIV vaccine. The project is jointly funded by the
participants, Tekes (The National Technology Agency of Finland) and VINNOVA (The
Swedish Agency for Innovation Systems).
EUREKA is an European wide network for industrial research and development.
EUREKA aims at strengthening European competitiveness by promoting
'market-driven' collaborative R&D, involving industry and research institutes
across Europe, using advanced technologies resulting in cost-effective products,
processes and services.
The participants in the E!3421 HIV vaccine project are: FIT Biotech (Finland),
Swedish Institute for Infectious Disease Control & Karolinska Institute
(Sweden), Vecura at Karolinska University Hospital Huddinge (Sweden) and SBL
Vaccines (Sweden). The participants will jointly develop and test therapeutic
HIV vaccine candidates in phase I/II studies. There will be a specific focus on
developing countries.
“Joining of the forces now working for the development of an HIV vaccine in the
Nordic region will certainly strengthen the possibilities to reach our goal”
says Professor Kai Krohn, the coordinator of the Eureka project and Chief
Scientific Officer at FIT Biotech.
“This is a great endeavour”, says Professor Britta Wahren from Swedish Institute
for Infectious Disease Control & Karolinska Institute, ”It will make our
countries collaborate better against the terrible spread of HIV infection.”
“This Nordic alliance will be of great importance for development of this novel
therapeutic area and will facilitate the transfer from clinical research to
clinical practice” says Dr Pontus Blomberg, from Vecura.
Björn Sjöstrand, CEO of SBL Vaccines says: “Today, over 40 million people are
infected by HIV and we see no end to this global scourge. The way forward is to
combine academic research with industrial development competence in a joint
effort to develop an effective vaccine against this disease.”
"FIT Biotech is excited about the collaboration and the opportunity to test the
therapeutic efficacy of its vaccine candidate. The clinical study will be of
pivotal importance for the development of a new class of therapy against HIV"
according to Kalevi Reijonen, CEO of FIT Biotech.
About FIT Biotech
FIT Biotech Plc is an innovative medical biotechnology company engaged in the
development and commercialization of its proprietary Gene Transport Unit (GTU®)
technology and GTU product applications in DNA vaccination and immune therapy.
The company’s other areas of expertise are artificial immunogen (multiepitope),
recombinant protein and antibody technologies, as well as GMP grade process
development and production of DNA vaccines. In addition, the company has
developed and launched diagnostic products for the detection of natural latex
allergens. FIT Biotech was established in 1995 and is located in Tampere,
Finland, with operations also in Tartu, Estonia.
Further information
Kalevi Reijonen
CEO & President
FIT Biotech Oyj Plc
E-mail: kalevi.reijonen@fitbiotech.com
Tel. +358 40 843 5695
www.fitbiotech.com
About SBL Vaccines
SBL Vaccines is an independent Swedish company with in-house research,
development and manufacturing capabilities, marketing our specialist vaccines
internationally. A complete vaccine portfolio sourced from global vaccine
companies is marketed in the Nordic region.
Our core product Dukoral is an oral vaccine that protects against cholera and
enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC). Dukoral has been sold successfully in
Sweden and Norway for several years and is the leading travel vaccine. Dukoral
is recommended and used by World Health Organisation (WHO). Dukoral is since
April licensed in all European countries and 21 other countries worldwide (North
America, South America, Asia, Africa and Oceania).
Further information
Björn Gustafsson
VP Research and development
SBL Vaccines
E-mail: bjorn.gustafsson@sblvaccines.se
Tel: +46 8 735 12 47
www.sblvaccines.se
About Vecura
Vecura is a contract manufacturer of gene therapy vectors for clinical trials
and has been in operation since 1996. The facility is a subsidiary to Karolinska
University Hospital Huddinge. It is located in the Novum Research Park,
Stockholm, Sweden. Vecura has been an approved manufacturer of GMP gene therapy
products for clinical trials since 1998 and have manufactured plasmid and
retrovirus vectors for 15 different clinical trials in Sweden, Denmark, Holland,
Great Britain, Austria, and Poland.
Further information
Pontus Blomberg
PhD, Director
Vecura
Karolinska University Hospital Huddinge
E-mail: Pontus.blomberg@vecura.com
Tel. +46-8-58 58 36 58
www.vecura.com
About The Swedish Institute for Infectious Disease Control/ Karolinska Institute
The Swedish Institute for Infectious Disease Control (SMI) is a government
expert authority with a mission to monitor the epidemiology of infectious
disease among Swedish citizens and promote control and prevention of these
diseases. The SMI staff includes approximately 300 employees plus about 100 PhD
and undergraduate students, scholarship holders, and guest scientists. The
premises are located within the Karolinska Institute campus in Solna.
The Karolinska Institute is the largest medical university in Scandinavia,
devoted to research, clinical research and education.
Further information
Britta Wahren
E-mail: Britta.Wahren@smi.ki.se
www.smittskyddsinstitutet.se
info.ki.se
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