Director of Immunobiology At Generex Subsidiary Antigen Express as Featured Panelist Discusses Company's Vaccine Technology
WORCESTER, Mass., Aug. 27, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The synthetic vaccine platform technology of Generex Biotechnology Corporation (Nasdaq:GNBT) (www.generex.com) was featured last week at the first International Swine Flu Conference in Washington, DC.
Douglas M. Powell, PhD, director of immunobiology at Antigen Express, a wholly owned subsidiary of Generex, was a featured panelist in an August 20 discussion that addressed best practices to prepare for the approaching flu season and respond to the pandemic threat posed by the H1N1 virus. The complete panel is archived at C-SPAN.org; Powell's segment begins at 1:03:55: http://www.c-span.org/Watch/Media/2009/08/20/HP/A/22309/International+Swine+Flu+Conference+Day+2.aspx.
Powell explained the advantages of dealing with a pandemic virus by developing next-generation vaccines, such as Generex's synthetic platform, which can be mass-produced using existing technology, more quickly and at lower cost than egg-based vaccines. Powell noted that this process could help prevent infection and/or limit the severity of H1N1 in humans.
Traditional egg-based vaccines take months to develop and rely on live virus, which always carries the risk of infecting rather than inoculating. Generex's proprietary synthetic vaccine platform does not use live virus, but instead arranges peptides to create a "snapshot" of the virus that activates the body's T-cells to fight off the foreign invader, completely eliminating any risk of infection.
Generex's vaccine platform is already in various stage clinical trials for avian flu, as well as prostate, breast and ovarian cancers, melanomas, SARS and HIV/AIDS.
In addition to the company's vaccine platform technology, Generex has developed a range of products based on their proprietary RapidMist(TM) platform technology for drug delivery through the inner lining of the mouth, ensuring that there is no deposit in the lungs. The company's flagship product, Generex Oral-lyn(TM) is an oral insulin spray product for the treatment of Type-1 and Type-2 diabetes, available to patients in certain overseas markets and in Phase III global clinical trials. Generex has also developed and markets a variety of over-the-counter products.
About Generex Biotechnology Corporation
Generex is engaged in the research, development and commercialization of drug delivery systems and technologies. Generex has developed a proprietary platform technology for the delivery of drugs into the human body through the oral cavity (with no deposit in the lungs). The Company's proprietary liquid formulations allow drugs typically administered by injection to be absorbed into the body by the lining of the inner mouth using the Company's proprietary RapidMist(TM) device.
