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 September 19, 2007 - Vaccine researchers convene in Del. Amid increased interest in vaccines from big pharmaceutical companies, about 140 researchers from around the world are meeting this week at the Hotel du Pont in Wilmington to share techniques for developing new vaccines for diseases ranging from flu to potentially fatal cancers. The growing interest has fueled attendance at the conference, which started Monday and concludes today. Participation has doubled since the first conference in 2005, which was attended by about 70 people. The event features speakers who will discuss the latest developments in vaccines made from plants, insects or animal cells. This is the event's third year, and the second time it has been held in Wilmington. The increased attendance, and a list of speakers that includes representatives from pharmaceutical giants Novartis and GlaxoSmithKline, reflects drug companies' renewed interest in vaccine development. "It shows the importance of the issue not only to us, but to the entire industry," said Vidadi Yusibov, executive director of the Fraunhofer USA Center for Molecular Biotechnology in Newark, which is one of the conference's organizers and sponsors. Vaccines are attracting lots of interest from the big drug companies, including AstraZeneca, which earlier this year paid $15.6 billion to acquire MedImmune Inc., the Gaithersburg, Md.-based biotechnology company whose products include the FluMist nasal spray flu vaccine. Vaccines, which used to be thought of as "low-cost, high-volume" medicines from which companies couldn't make much money, are becoming a "hot area" for drug companies, said Dr. Thomas Monath, a partner at the Silicon Valley venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers. These days, vaccines are considered "high-volume and high-priced," said Monath, the conference's chairman. For example, Merck & Co.'s Gardasil vaccine for preventing human papilloma virus -- one of the viruses that cause cervical cancer -- costs $360, plus administration fees, for a three-shot regimen. Because vaccines are becoming increasingly profitable, drug companies are working on a host of new ones to treat diseases such as HIV and cancer. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is funding research into vaccine development, including research at Fraunhofer into vaccines for sleeping sickness, malaria and influenza. The Seattle-based foundation, started by the Microsoft founder and his wife, is funding projects that will bring vaccines to the developing world, where conditions such as cervical cancer, which have been largely brought under control through better diagnosis and treatment, remain major killers. Vaccines are "one of the most cost-effective public health tools available," said Douglas Holtzman, senior program officer in the global health program at the Gates Foundation, and an attendee at the conference. Developing new vaccines won't mean much if they aren't affordable and available to people in the developing world, said Dr. David Fedson, a former director of medical affairs for vaccine maker Aventis Pasteur. "How can we translate what has been a biological success and a commercial success into a global health success?" asked Fedson, a speaker at the conference. For millions of people in developing countries, affordable vaccines can mean the difference between life and death, Fedson said. "If we can't make enough doses for people in a short period of time, we have to look at other solutions." Article Text: By GARY HABER The News Journal May 30, 2007 - Fraunhofer USA CMB, $8.5M Contract from DARPA The Fraunhofer USA Center for Molecular Biotechnology ("Fraunhofer USA CMB"), based in Newark, Delaware, was awarded a $2.6 million contract from the U.S. Department of Defense through the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to further develop and validate a novel system for accelerated manufacturing of biopharmaceuticals. The total value of the effort, if all phases of the development program are completed, could be $8.5 million. Under Phase I of the DARPA contract, Fraunhofer USA CMB will validate its unique plant-based technology platform for the rapid, cost-effective production of vaccines and monoclonal antibodies. The Fraunhofer USA CMB platform can significantly reduce the time required from the identification of infectious agents to the manufacture of millions of doses of medical counter measures. Fraunhofer USA CMB's technology employs a proprietary vector system and non-genetically modified plants for time-efficient and cost- effective production of vaccines, antibodies and therapeutic proteins. Fraunhofer USA CMB has established an effective partnership with industry and academia to accomplish the goals of this project. The Fraunhofer USA Center for Manufacturing Innovation will design process automation, Integrated BioPharma, Inc. will scale-up downstream protein purification, AMEC Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. will be responsible for process and facility engineering and Delaware State University will optimize non-transgenic seed production and storage. "This contract from DARPA will significantly accelerate our development of this much-needed technology that addresses some of the concerns affecting current biopharmaceutical manufacturing," said Dr. Vidadi Yusibov, Executive Director of Fraunhofer USA CMB. "Our unique vectors combined with non- genetically modified plants, provide a rapid and highly scalable platform for cost-effective manufacturing." Fraunhofer was awarded this contract under DARPA's Accelerated Manufacture of Pharmaceutics Program; a multiphase initiative designed to direct novel biological systems to quickly produce life saving medical countermeasures for today's naturally occurring, intentionally released and pandemic biological threat agents. The goal of this program is to generate 3 million doses of vaccine or immune-therapeutic within 12 week of anoutbreak, and to do so at extremely low cost using highly resilient, rigorously controlled, GMP-quality production platforms. Fraunhofer USA CMB is a unique institution conducting research in the area of plant biotechnology and is developing cutting edge technologies for the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of human and animal diseases. CMB is located in Newark, Delaware and houses individuals with expertise and excellence in plant virology, pathology, molecular biology, immunology, vaccinology, protein engineering and biochemistry. Fraunhofer USA CMB is part of Fraunhofer USA, Inc., a non-profit research and development corporation, with headquarters in Michigan. It operates through technology centers that are partnered with major research universities in the United States and also with parent research institutes in Germany. December 7, 2006 - Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Grant 
Plymouth, Michigan December 7, 2006 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: The Fraunhofer USA Center for Molecular Biotechnology ("Fraunhofer CMB"), a not-for-profit research organization, received a $2.7 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to develop a novel vaccine technology that could enable scalable, time efficient and cost-effective production of influenza vaccines. The technology, AIPwLV™ Platform, relies on a uniquely designed vector system and can be applied as a broad-based platform technology for producing life- saving vaccines in non-genetically modified plants. The $2.7 million grant will support Fraunhofer CMB's development of subunit vaccines against influenza using the AIPwLV™ Platform. Integrated BioPharma, Inc. (AMEX: INB), which holds the rights to the Fraunhofer CMB technology, has agreed to make the AIPwLV™ Platform available for the development and production of specific vaccines for developing countries on a not-for-profit basis. "The support we are receiving from the Gates Foundation and INB will significantly expedite our development of these much-needed vaccines," said Dr. Vidadi Yusibov, Executive Director of CMB. "We expect the AIPwLV™ Platform, which uses simple, non-genetically-altered plants as a medium for the rapid production of target antigens, to address some of the concerns affecting current vaccine technologies. These concerns include scalability, cost, and time efficiency." "The technology developed by Fraunhofer CMB and INB over the last three years could help address a critical challenge in global health - expanding access to cost-effective vaccines in developing countries," said Douglas Holtzman, Senior Program Officer for Infectious Diseases at the Gates Foundation. InfluenzaType H5N1 avian influenza virus, the cause of recent epidemics in poultry in Asia is spreading throughout the globe, increasing the potential for outbreaks in human populations and concerns about an influenza pandemic. The major defense against influenza is vaccination. Global capacity for influenza vaccine production is insufficient to supply vaccine for the world's population, and this shortfall will be particularly felt in developing countries that lack vaccine-manufacturing infrastructure. Thus, there is a pressing need for alternative approaches that will address some of the limitations of the current vaccine technology, including speed of manufacturing. The ultimate goal of this project is to validate and implement a technology that could greatly increase the world's vaccine manufacturing capacity. About Fraunhofer USA Center for Molecular Biotechnology (CMB). Fraunhofer USA Center for Molecular Biotechnology was established in July 2001 as partnership between the Fraunhofer Society in Germany and the State of Delaware. CMB is part of Fraunhofer USA, Inc., a non-profit organization that has five research Centers in the United States. CMB is located at the Delaware Technology Park in Newark, Delaware and is a unique institution conducting research in the area of plant biotechnology, developing cutting edge technologies to assist the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of human and animal diseases. The Center houses individuals with expertise and excellence in plant virology, pathology, molecular biology, immunology, vaccinology, protein engineering, and biochemistry. About Integrated BioPharma, Inc. (INB). Integrated BioPharma presently serves the varied needs of the health care industry through its Nutraceutical business, which creates, develops, manufactures and markets health products worldwide; its Biotechnology business, which uses its patented plant-based technology to produce vaccines and therapeutic antibodies; and its Pharmaceutical business, which operates contract research and cGMP manufacturing facilities. 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. 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. Contact: Frances Roland-Lee at 734 354 4333 froland@fraunhofer.org, or Vidadi Yusibov at 302 369 3776 vyusibov@fraunhofer-cmb.org
December 7, 2006 - Integrated Biopharma / Fraunhofer CMB Flu Vaccine 
NEWS RELEASE for December 7, 2006 Contact: Dina Masi, CFO Jeffrey Leach, Investor Relations Integrated BioPharma, Inc. 888-319-6962 INTEGRATED BIOPHARMA AND FRAUNHOFER CMB ANNOUNCE FLU VACCINE PROJECTHILLSIDE, NEW JERSEY (December 7, 2006) - Integrated BioPharma, Inc. (AMEX:INB) and Fraunhofer USA Center for Molecular Biotechnology ("FCMB") announced today the successful validation of their proprietary, plant- based technology platform for the production of human therapeutic proteins and their further agreement to now engineer and produce vaccines against influenza using the validated platform. The The AIPwLV™ platform was developed for INB by FCMB over the last three years. It uses simple, non-genetically modified plants as a medium for the rapid, economical production of vaccine antigens. Unlike vaccine technologies currently in use, the The AIPwLV™ platform enables practically limitless scalability of production of target antigens for vaccines against diseases such as influenza relatively quickly after identification of the active strain, thereby significantly increasing the availability of efficacious vaccines for large-scale inoculations. "We expect the The AIPwLV™ platform to significantly alleviate many of the problems affecting current vaccine technologies, particularly in the areas of safety, scalability, cost and time efficiency," said Dr. Vidadi Yusibov, Executive Director of FCMB. "Now that the The AIPwLV™ technology platform has been validated, we have engaged FCMB to develop specific vaccine products using the The AIPwLV™ platform, the first of which is influenza vaccine," said E. Gerald Kay, Chairman of INB. "As we proceed with this product, we will be examining other product applications of the platform and possible licensing relationships for those who wish to use the The AIPwLV™ platform for the production of vaccines and therapeutic proteins against other diseases," Mr. Kay added. About Fraunhofer USA Center for Molecular Biotechnology Fraunhofer USA Center for Molecular Biotechnology was established in July 2001 as a partnership between Fraunhofer Society in Germany and the State of Delaware. CMB is a nonprofit organization that is part of Fraunhofer USA, Inc., incorporated in Rhode Island, with the license to conduct business in the state of Delaware. Fraunhofer USA, Inc. is headquartered in Plymouth, MI and has five Centers in the United States. CMB is located at the Delaware Technology Park in Newark, Delaware, and is a unique institution conducting research in the area of plant biotechnology, utilizing newly developed/developing cutting edge technologies to assist the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of human and animal diseases. About Integrated BioPharma, Inc. (INB) Integrated BioPharma, Inc. presently serves the varied needs of the health care industry through its Nutraceutical business, which creates, develops, manufactures and markets health products worldwide; its Biotechnology business, which uses its patented plant-based technology to produce vaccines and therapeutic antibodies; and its Pharmaceutical business, which operates contract research and cGMP manufacturing facilities. 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. September 1, 2006 - CMB Sponsors New Cells for New Vaccines Workshop The International Association for Biologicals (IABs) will be holding a two-day workshop which will consist of presentations from international leaders in the field, oral presentations selected from submitted abstracts, poster displays and trade exhibits. Fraunhofer USA CMB will be sponsoring and participating in the meeting. Fraunhofer speakers include Dr. Vidadi Yusibov, Executive Director and Dr. Gene Palmer, Scientist. The topics in the workshop will include: Click here to view the pdf which includes a description of the meeting, a call for abstracts, a meeting schedule and registration information. May 18, 2006 - CMB Exec.Dir. contributes to "Cutting Edge" Panel Dr. Vidadi Yusibov, Executive Director of Fraunhofer USA CMB was among the participants in a "Cutting Edge" panel focusing on how innovation drives the economy. David S. Weir, director of the Delaware Biotechnology Institute at the University of Delaware and Michael K. Handley founder of AccelaPure Corp. also spoke at the conference. Topics included finding direction for new research and encouraging companies to work with each other, the community, academia and government. Additionally, the conference addressed how Delaware can take advantage of the new opportunities in the growing biotechnology field.. To read a Delaware, News Journal article covering the conference click here.April 13, 2006 - Exec. Dir. of Fraunhofer USA CMB Acknowledged The featured article in the Life section of the newspaper "News of Delaware County" recognizes the director of Fraunhofer USA CMB, Dr. Vidadi Yusibov, for his expertise in the field of molecular biology. The article includes information on particular bio-defense vaccines Fraunhofer USA CMB is working on and contains some perspective into Dr. Yusibov's life. Also quoted in the article is Dr. Shailaja Rabindran, a Senior Scientist at Fraunhofer USA CMB. To read the complete article click here.March 24, 2006 - GMBSF Award Recipients recognized at luncheon
The recipients included Dusti Vanderwende of the University of Delaware, Stephanie Callahan of the Delaware Technical & Community College and Samantha Snow of Delaware State University. These students were chosen based on academic excellence and an expressed interest in Biotechnology. They represent the best at their respective schools. Mark Brainard, Chief of Staff to Gov. Ruth Ann Minner awarded the
Fraunhofer CMB would like to thank AstraZeneca, Integrated BioPharma (INB) and AccelaPure for their generous contributions to the fund.
WHYY will feature the award ceremony on Delaware Tonight this evening (3/24). To see the clip click here (RealPlayer required). The Fraunhofer item is approximately 24 minutes into the program. March 1, 2006 - Retired four-star General joins Fraunhofer board Retired four-star General James T. Hill has been named a board member of Fraunhofer USA. General Hill's experience will allow him make suggestions to Fraunhofer regarding government use of plant-based anthrax vaccines. Additionally, General Hill's knowledge of government projects will be a great help to Fraunhofer acquiring grants and other funding. Dr Vidadi Yusibov, the Executive Director of Fraunhofer USA CMB is quoted in a News Journal article saying, "This is a person who can really help us improve our planning and strategic development". Click here to read the News Journal article run on 3/1/2006. February 28, 2006 - Gov. Minner Biotechnology Scholarship Fund online To apply for the Governor Minner Scholarship Fund please go to http://www.delcf.org/ and scroll to, "DCF announces Governor Minner Biotech Scholarship Fund." Applications must be post marked by March 15, 2006. February 21, 2006 - UD Review article, Fraunhofer CMB anthrax research The University of Delaware's online newspaper, the UD Review recently ran an article regarding Fraunhofer CMB's contributions to anthrax vaccine research. The article briefly discusses the current need for and potential benefits of plant based anthrax vaccines. To read the article click here. December 10, 2005 - Fraunhofer CMB highlighted in News Journal article In a News Journal article focusing on the "growing biotechnology niche", Fraunhofer CMB is noted as a strength in Delaware's emerging biotechnology industry. November 18, 2005 - Spotlight on FraunhoferCMB director Vidadi Yusibov In the December 2005 issue of Esquire magazine the executive director of Fraunhofer CMB, Vidadi Yusibov is recognized as one of the "10 Best and Brightest minds in science nationwide". The article goes on to describe Dr. Yusibov's views and some of the projects Fraunhofer CMB is currently involved in. To purchase a copy of the article from Esquire click here. Also, a related Wilmington, DE News Journal article mentions the Esquire magazine recognition and continues further to describe his childhood on the farm, past and present research and current view of vaccine development in plants. To read the News Journal Article click here. September 30, 2005 - Governor Minner Scholarship Fund Created THE GOVERNOR MINNER BIOTECHNOLOGY SCHOLARSHIP FUND TO BE AWARDED BY FRAUNHOFER USA's CENTER FOR MOLECULAR BIOTECHNOLOGY NEWARK, DE—The Fraunhofer USA Center for Molecular Biotechnology (CMB), announced the creation of the Governor Minner Biotechnology Scholarship Fund on September 30th, 2005 at a luncheon honoring the Governor for her outstanding support of the Biotechnology industry. The Governor Minner Biotechnology Scholarship Fund is a scholarship program established by Fraunhofer CMB to promote and advance science education in the State of Delaware. The scholarship is open to individuals majoring in Biology/Biotechnology who attend the University of Delaware, Delaware State College and Delaware Technical and Community College. The scholarships will be awarded in March of 2006. "Fraunhofer recognizes the fact that the University of Delaware, Delaware State University and the Delaware Technical and Community College inherently understand the need for rigorous coursework in the sciences," said Dr. Vidadi Yusibov, Executive Director of the CMB. "Our university partners are dedicated to delivering the knowledge and skills necessary for students to succeed as workers and professionals in a challenging and technologically advanced environment. These are the very skills that enhance our state’s competitiveness worldwide and help make Delaware a key player in the global biotech arena. " "By supporting outstanding students today, and partnering with the teachers and schools that inspire their excellence, The Governor Minner Biotechnology Scholarship Fund will help nurture tomorrow's scientists and engineers. The future success of Biotechnology in Delaware is dependent on an educated workforce and the CMB is offering this scholarship as a tool to help provide those future resources," added Dr. William Hartman, Vice President of Fraunhofer USA. The Scholarship fund has been named after Governor Minner to recognize her accomplishments in supporting a culture of innovation, research and educational involvement, a hallmark of the State of Delaware. "It is vital that we encourage new generations to pursue science and math in school, and this scholarship is a wonderful way to do that," Governor Minner said, "I am truly honored that this scholarship will be given in my name by the CMB," remarked Minner. Minner was named "BIO Governor of the Year" for 2004 and 2005 the Biotechnology Industry Organization. Fraunhofer CMB encourages others to participate in supporting science education in Delaware by contributing to this fund.
For the related article run in the Delaware News Journal click here. July 18, 2005 - Innovations in Mitigating BioThreats Fraunhofer USA Center for Molecular Biotechnology presented its first Topical Conference entitled Innovations in Mitigating BioThreats on July 18, 2005 at the Hotel DuPont in Wilmington, DE. The purpose of the conference was to raise public awareness and promote the implementation of technological advances that will facilitate developing biomedical countermeasures against infectious diseases. This unique gathering of experts from academia, industry and government, focused on biodefense, public health, and agricultural biothreats. “This meeting is an attempt to raise public awareness and take steps towards understanding and consolidating efforts of all sectors to combat sudden outbreaks of disease, natural or man-made”, said Dr. William Hartman, Vice President of Fraunhofer USA, Inc. Noted speakers were: U.S. Senator Joseph Biden, State of Delaware U.S. Senator Thomas Carper, State of Delaware U.S. Congressman Michael Castle, State of Delaware Capt. Darrell Galloway, Ph.D. USNR Chief, Medical Programs, Defense Threat Reduction Agency Ken Millburne, Biodefense Program Manager, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Dr. Charles Penn, Head of Research & Development, HPA, Centre for Emergency Preparedness and Response, Porton Down, UK Dr. Nancy Cox, Chief, Influenza Branch, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Center for Disease Control, Dr. James Robertson, Principal Scientist in Virology, National Institute for Biological Standards and Control, UK Douglas Holtzman, Ph.D., M.P.H., Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Dr. Geoffrey Schild, CSO, INB-Biotechnologies, Inc. Phillip Berger, Ph.D. National Science Program Leader, USDA - Center for Plant Health Science and Technology, Plant Protection and Quarantine Service, Dr. Lorne Babiuk, Vaccine & Infectious Disease Organization, Canada Dr. Robin Morgan, Dean of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Delaware, J. Michael Bowman, Chairman and President of the Delaware Technology Park Dr. Orn Adalsteinsson, President and CEO, INB-Biotechnologies, Inc. Judy McKinney-Cherry, Director, Delaware Economic Development Office,
and executives from Fraunhofer USA, Inc. and Fraunhofer Gesellschaft: Prof. Dennis Tsichritzis, President of Fraunhofer USA, Inc. Prof. Hans-Jörg Bullinger, President of Fraunhofer Gesellschaft Dr. William Hartman, Vice President, Fraunhofer USA, Inc. Prof. Rainer Fischer, Senior Executive Director, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, and host of the conference: Dr. Vidadi Yusibov, Executive Director, Fraunhofer Center for Molecular Biotechnology For more information on the conference: SpecialEditionBrochure.pdf. June 3, 2005-June 23, 2005 - Fraunhofer CMB at BIO 2005 Conference Please come and visit us at Booth #716 at the BIO 2005 Conference in Philadelphia, PA. from June 19th-22nd in the Delaware Pavilion. May 17, 2005 - Grant from Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Fraunhofer USA’s Center for Molecular Biotechnology in Delaware receives grant from Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for trypanosomiasis research Molecular Biotechnology (CMB), a non-profit research organization, has received a $1.2 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for pre-clinical studies towards the development of a vaccine against African trypanosomiasis. This disease, known in cattle as Nagana and in humans as Sleeping Sickness, is spread by the bite of the tsetse fly and is fatal if left untreated. It occurs in 36 countries of sub-Saharan Africa, is reaching epidemic proportions and is having a devastating impact on local economies. CMB will apply its newly developed suite of technologies to engineer, produce and evaluate candidate vaccines to combat this disease. This project is a collaborative effort between CMB, the Institute of Parasitology at McGill University in Canada and Makerere University in Uganda. The new plant-based technology developed at CMB has the potential to provide safe, effective and affordable vaccines against a variety of pathogens. “Our plant-based approach is highly time-efficient and ensures economic production of vaccines,” said Vidadi Yusibov, Executive Director of CMB. “An affordable vaccine against trypanosomiasis could prevent tens of thousands of deaths each year,” said Dr. Douglas Holtzman, senior program officer for the Infectious Diseases Program of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. “We’re pleased that the Fraunhofer USA Center for Molecular Biotechnology is applying its unique expertise to this critical research.” March 22, 2005 - American Society for Microbiology Press Release Antibodies from Plants Protect Against Anthrax BALTIMORE, MD - Scientists have produced, in tobacco plants, human antibodies that could be used to treat anthrax exposure. They report their findings today at the 2005 American Society for Microbiology Biodefense Research Meeting. ”The nature of bioterrorism is such that an aggressor is likely to strike at a time and place calculated to induce maximum terror through mass casualties. The unpredictable nature of such events compels us to develop cost-effective, highly stable medical countermeasures to enable authorities to treat individuals exposed to bioterror agents such as anthrax,” says Les Baillie of the Naval Medical Research Center. Dr. Baillie, who is also associated with the University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute, conducted his research in collaboration with Dr. Vidadi Yusibov, Director of the Fraunhofer USA Center for Molecular Biotechnology (CMB) in Newark, Delaware. Funding for this project at the Fraunhofer USA CMB was obtained through the efforts of a congressional delegation led by Delaware’s Senior Senator Joe Biden. To create the “plantibodies,” Baillie and his colleagues first collected the cells that make antibodies from individuals who had been vaccinated against anthrax. Then genes that encode the antibody itself were inserted into a bacterium that transfers the gene into the plant cells. “The plant makes the antibody for you in a few days,” says Baillie. The antibodies were then purified from leaves harvested from the infected plants and tested for their ability to protect mice against anthrax infection. The plant-produced antibodies were just as effective as the antibodies produced by human cells from immunized individuals. The antibodies can be used either before exposure to prevent infection or after exposure as treatment. ”If you’ve been exposed to an agent, you want protection as soon as possible. Vaccination can take a very long time to build immunity. Antibodies give you immediate protection,” says Baillie. ”Plant-produced antibodies are also safer because there is no risk of contamination by human or animal pathogens, and plant viruses are not known to infect humans,” says Yusibov. ”It is an easy, inexpensive and, very stable system. If you’re looking for a way to stockpile a large amount of antibodies for a long periods of time, plant-produced antibodies are the answer,” says Baillie. Anthrax antibodies are just the first step for Baillie and his collaborators. Plantibodies against the plague bacterium and botulism are also in development.
March 22, 2004 - Fraunhofer Gesellschaft publication A short article in the monthly Fraunhofer Gesellschaft publication "Research January 15, 2004 - Integrated BioPharma INTEGRATED BIOPHARMA ACQUIRES TECHNOLOGY HILLSIDE, NJ, Jan.13, 2004—Integrated BioPharma (AMEX:INB) announced today that it has acquired intellectual property developed by the Center for Molecular Biotechnology (CMB) of Fraunhofer USA, Inc. The agreement covers exclusive rights to proprietary technology and intellectual property in the area of expression, engineering, testing, production and validation of human therapeutic proteins in plants. The Fraunhofer Center for Molecular Biotechnology has a suite of new technologies, including genetically engineered plant viruses for producing veterinary and human vaccines, therapeutic proteins, antibodies and industrial enzymes in plants. INB, through its wholly owned subsidiary NuCycle Therapy, Inc., has an ongoing collaboration with Fraunhofer to produce generic drugs, and in particular therapeutic proteins using CMB’s proprietary technology. “This agreement creates a partnership that will help to facilitate commercialization of the center’s research and development activities and to open new opportunities for Fraunhofer USA in U.S. and world biotech markets,” says Dr. W. Hartman of Fraunhofer USA. The agreement between INB and CMB grants INB exclusive rights and eventual ownership of all of the intellectual property and proprietary know-how in the field of vaccine, therapeutic protein and antibody production for human use. The Agreement will result in cash and royalties paid to CMB by INB in exchange for broad rights to the technology. “The agreement with The Center for Molecular Biotechnology significantly increases our portfolio of intellectual property in the use of plants for making high value-high impact products,” says E.Gerald Kay, CEO of INB. “This intellectual property provides us with an opportunity to develop generic drugs and entirely new therapeutic and nutraceutical products at low cost with high quality and higher safety standards.” Through its biotech subsidiary, NuCycle Therapy, Inc., INB is developing cancer preventive compounds in transgenic plants. INB serves the nutraceutical, biotech and pharmaceutical industries. Through several wholly owned subsidiaries, INB develops, manufactures and distributes more than 130 products worldwide. Its recent acquisition of Paxis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., places the Company in the position to be a world leader in the production and sale of paclitaxel and related drugs. Further information is available at www.iBioPharma.com. January 14, 2004 - The Dow Chemical Company Dow enters NIH research agreement to develop rapid vaccine production system MIDLAND—(January 14, 2004)— The Dow Chemical Company has entered into a 4-year, $5.7 million cooperative research agreement from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to apply new technology for rapid development of vaccines. Dow will subcontract with Fraunhofer USA Center for Molecular Biotechnology to co-develop the technology and with the University of Maryland to provide screening for efficacy. NIH requested proposals for new vaccine technologies against infectious diseases, including biowarfare agents. Dow’s approach will be based on new plant viral particle technology, with vaccine protein production taking place on leaves of greenhouse-grown plants. Speed of production is the most significant advantage according to Carolyn Fritz, Dow’s global business director for Industrial Biotechnology. “We anticipate that our plant technology will cut production time to 3 or 4 months, reduce cost, and produce effective and safe vaccines that can be delivered by capsule or nasal spray. This would be a big improvement over existing technology,” said Fritz. Fraunhofer USA will be exploring complementary technology and will provide a highly developed plant virus platform system with a wide host range. “This plant-based vaccine system will reduce the risk of contamination by animal pathogens,” said Barry Marrs, Executive Director of Fraunhofer USA. “We have seen excellent results in preliminary animal testing.” The University of Maryland will perform pre-clinical testing. About Fraunhofer USA Fraunhofer USA Center for Molecular Biotechnology is part of the Fraunhofer Gesellschaft, the leading non-profit contract research organization in Europe, with annual revenues of one billion euros. Fraunhofer USA offers transient expression of proteins in plants for the production of vaccines or therapeutic proteins, such as antibodies and peptide hormones, and together with its parental Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, can provide a wide range of cutting-edge molecular biology services. For further information, visit the www.fraunhofer-cmb.org website. About Dow Dow is a leading science and technology company that provides innovative chemical, plastic and agricultural products and services to many essential consumer markets. With annual sales of $28 billion, Dow serves customers in more than 170 countries and a wide range of markets that are vital to human progress, including food, transportation, health and medicine, personal and home care, and building and construction, among others. Committed to the principles of Sustainable Development, Dow and its approximately 50,000 employees seek to balance economic, environmental and social responsibilities. More information about Dow is available at the Dow web site at http://www.dow.com. For further information, please contact Adrianne Proctor, Business Communications Manager, The Dow Chemical Company, on 989-636-5636; or Brian Mahoney of Gibbs & Soell Public Relations, on 212- 697-2600. More information about Fraunhofer USA is available at www.fraunhofer-cmb.org. For further information, please contact Yvonne Wessel, Executive Assistant, Fraunhofer CMB, on 302-369-8292.
September 25, 2003 - Approved Appropriations Legislation U.S. House and Senate Approved Appropriations Legislation -- Includes Funding for Fraunhofer Center for Molecular Biotechnology to Develop New Smallpox Vaccine. Newark, DE (October 30, 2003) – The Delaware Delegation announced on September 25, 2003 that both the U.S. House and Senate approved legislation that funds key Department of Defense initiatives. Included in this package is $3.5 million to help Fraunhofer Center for Molecular Biotechnology (FhCMB) develop a safer and less expensive smallpox vaccine using plant proteins. The new vaccine will reduce the health risk of vaccinations, cost less to produce, and be produced more quickly than the current vaccine. Vaccines are substances that prevent disease by stimulating specific immune responses. Barry Marrs, Executive Director of FhCMB said, “We think that in 18 months, we can produce a vaccine candidate that is ready to begin clinical trials. Using plant technology will make the vaccine safer because we won’t use animal tissue cultures which can transmit animal diseases to humans, and we won’t use viruses that could harm people” The vaccine will be made in greenhouses. The new therapeutics will be manufactured by greenhouse growers in Delaware in partnership with pharmaceutical companies. The core platform technologies employed by Fraunhofer CMB are molecular farming and directed evolution. These are applied to vaccine development, therapeutic protein production and industrial enzyme development. FhCMB has assembled an experienced team of technologists and business professionals who push the boundaries of science to help improve global health, provide freedom from bioterrorism, and contribute to sustainable chemical manufacturing. For additional information, visit the website at www.fraunhofer-cmb.org or contact Yvonne Wessel, Executive Assistant, 9 Innovation Way, Suite 200, Newark, DE 19711, Phone: 302.369.8292, partnering@fraunhofer-cmb.org
September 11, 2003 - Chemical Heritage Foundation Barry Marrs, Executive Director, Fraunhofer Center for Molecular Biotechnology, Speaks at Chemical Heritage Foundation Newark, DE (October 30, 2002) – Barry Marrs, Executive Director, Fraunhofer Center for Molecular Biotechnology (FhCMB) was an invited speaker for the Chemical Heritage Foundation on September 11, 2003. Dr. Marrs presented as part of the “Symposium on Partnering in Industrial Biotechnology,” The symposium discussed new research in the production of bioplastics, biocatalysis, and other innovative materials, focusing on ways to create partnerships between traditional chemical companies and small biotech firms to further develop and add markets for new products. The core platform technologies employed by Fraunhofer CMB are molecular farming and directed evolution. These are applied to vaccine development, therapeutic protein production and industrial enzyme development. FhCMB has assembled an experienced team of technologists and business professionals who push the boundaries of science to help improve global health, provide freedom from bioterrorism, and contribute to sustainable chemical manufacturing. For additional information, visit the website at www.fraunhofer-cmb.org or contact Yvonne Wessel, Executive Assistant, 9 Innovation Way, Suite 200, Newark, DE 19711, Phone: 302.369.8292, partnering@fraunhofer-cmb.org March 31, 2003 - Open House and Briefing Fraunhofer USA Center for Molecular Biotechnology and The New Castle County Economic Development Council Host Open House and Briefing Council and Fraunhofer focus on cutting edge technology, job development, industry investment and potential partnership with Delaware farmers Newark, DE (April 09, 2003) – Fraunhofer USA Center for Molecular Biotechnology (FhCMB) and the New Castle County Economic Development Council (NCCEDC) hosted an open house for legislators, business and community representatives on March 31, 2003 at the Delaware Technology Park in Newark, Delaware. More than eighty people attended this unique opportunity to emphasize the value of developing partnerships within state and federal governments, local organizations and businesses. Michael Bowman, President and CEO of the Delaware Technology Park welcomed the attendees. Bowman reviewed the mission, partnership contributions, and opportunities for interfacing new technology companies with business and university strengths in providing a force for economic development in Delaware. Dale Ervin, Director of the New Castle County Economic Development Council, explained that the council and Fraunhofer CMB provide unique development initiatives to New Castle County. Ervin stated “Everybody in the country is trying to attract biotech companies, but I think we can offer several advantages – including the fact that Fraunhofer USA chose the Delaware Technology Park in Newark as the site of their first biotechnology research center in the United States.” Fraunhofer CMB’s presence in Delaware will help attract “clusters” of other biotechnology companies to Delaware and our region. This will bring biotech workers, build biotech businesses that fit Delaware, and present opportunities for business growth relating to biotechnology needs and development. Fraunhofer CMB is building partnerships with Delaware farmers to develop molecular farming, offering cash crops in therapeutics, vaccines and industrial enzymes. In addition, new international business opportunities are being developed. Dr. Barry Marrs, Executive Director of Fraunhofer CMB said, “The open house and briefing was a great way to bring diverse groups together to consider the economic possibilities and partnerships that will foster economic growth in our near future.” The core platform technologies employed by Fraunhofer CMB are molecular farming and directed evolution. These are applied to vaccine development, therapeutic protein production and industrial enzyme development. FhCMB helps its partners make protein products that are safer and more cost effective than those made with alternative technologies. FhCMB has assembled an experienced team of technologists and business professionals who push the boundaries of science to help improve global health, provide freedom from bioterrorism, and contribute to sustainable chemical manufacturing. FhCMB’s mission is to promote partnerships with business, academia, and government agencies to provide rapid, low-cost and safe production of valuable proteins and enzymes that will enhance the quality of life world-wide. February 10, 2003 - Fraunhofer Molecular Farming Comm. Meets Fraunhofer Molecular Farming Advisory Committee Meets On 10 February, the Fraunhofer Molecular Farming Advisory Committee held its first meeting at the Conference Center of the Delaware Department of Agriculture in Dover, Delaware. The meeting was organized jointly with Mike Scuse, the Secretary of Agriculture and Jack Tarburton, Director of Business Development for the Delaware Economic Development Office. The following organizations were represented: the University of Delaware Extension Service, The Commonwealth Group, AdvanTek, Farmer’s First Services, the Chesapeake Fields Institute, Perdue Farms, Senator Carper’s office, DDA, DEDO and Fraunhofer USA. The purpose of the meeting was to examine business models and regulatory issues related to this plan. Subcommittees of the Fraunhofer Molecular Farming Advisory Committee will study each of these areas, and report back to the larger group. We believe Delaware can carve a niche for itself in the competitive biotech marketplace around Molecular Farming. Molecular farming is the production of proteins and related molecules in plants. It is a form of biotech that is uniquely suited to Delaware’s economic infrastructure, because it brings together greenhouse growers and pharmaceutical companies and field crop farming and chemical companies. The pharmaceutical industry needs safer, cheaper ways of manufacturing protein-based therapeutics and vaccines. Current state-of-the-art manufacturing for therapeutics, such as monoclonal antibodies (MAb), involves significant risk of contamination by animal pathogens, such as viruses and prions, and it is capital intensive. Each new MAb manufacturing facility costs about $500 million, and only one type of MAb can be made at any time according to FDA regulations. Production of these exciting new therapeutic proteins in plants would avoid a significant part of the capital expense, and it avoids the animal tissues that are the sources of many worrisome pathogens. Plant-virus-based vaccine development builds on the cost and safety advantages described above, but it also offers a highly versatile and speedy way of making potent vaccine candidates. Current vaccines, especially those against bioweapons like smallpox or anthrax, represent very old-fashioned technologies. They are not safe enough for widespread use, because they actually expose the recipient to potentially harmful pathogens or toxins. Some people succumb to these vaccines, but most of the survivors have strong, broad immunity. These vaccines were developed before the era of biotechnology, and safer vaccines against some diseases have subsequently been invented by using subunits of pathogen proteins. However, subunit vaccines were seldom as effective as their cruder predecessors, because they only stimulated an immune response to one or very few targets. By making vaccines based on plant viruses, we can now put multiple targets into highly immunogenic vaccine particles, thus promising both safety and efficacy. We can do this very rapidly, which should discourage enemies from engaging in a bioweapons arms race. Low-cost vaccines made in plants are also of obvious interest to animal growers. We propose to produce vaccines and therapeutics in greenhouses, using host plants and engineered plant viruses. The greenhouses will provide controlled production conditions and prevent movement of materials in or out of the system. Subsequent purification and product stabilization would be similar to current pharmaceutical manufacturing methodology. Greenhouse growers would need to work as part of the pharmaceutical manufacturing process. Low-cost protein manufacture is even more critical in the area of industrial biocatalysis: making chemicals and materials using biochemical catalysts. Industrial biocatalysis could account for as much as 30% of the revenues of the chemical industry in the near future, within 10 years by one estimate (McKinsey Quarterly, 2000). One key factor in this market penetration is the cost of industrial enzymes. The current fermentation-based processes for producing enzymes are capital intensive, and the lowest cost industrial enzymes cost about $10/lb (and most are more than $20/lb). Plant protein from field crops costs about $0.10 to 0.20/lb. The technologies of molecular farming can be used to produce industrial enzymes in plants at costs that are expected to easily match the lowest fermentatively produced enzymes, and much lower costs should be attainable. This will accelerate the biochemical transformation of a large part of the chemical industry. Furthermore, biotech-based chemical manufacturing has been demonstrated to be significantly cleaner than the chemical processes that they have displaced. Making conventional assumptions about yield and enzyme activity, we can estimate that about 500 acres would be required to produce enzyme for a hypothetical commodity chemical with sales of 100,000 tons per year, so this is a Delaware scale agricultural opportunity. On the greenhouse/therapeutics side, only 50 acres would be required to produce all the MAb’s sold in 2002 (1000 kg, worth $3 billion). Barry L. Marrs Executive Director Fraunhofer Center for Molecular Biotechnology
October 15, 2002 - Awarded Diabetes Research Project FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Fraunhofer Center for Molecular Biotechnology (FhCMB) Yvonne Wessel (302) 369-1708 Fraunhofer Center for Molecular Biotechnology Awarded Diabetes Research Project Newark, DE (October 15, 2002) – Fraunhofer Center for Molecular Biotechnolgy (FhCMB) has been awarded a contract from the Delaware Health Care Commission for preparing diagnostic materials to conduct initial trials for developing a screening procedure for early detection of type I or juvenile diabetes. FhCMB will work collaboratively with Dr. Abner L. Notkins, Chief of the Experimental Medicine Section in the Oral Infection and Immunity Branch at the National Institutes of Health. The Commission is working in collaboration with the Delaware Division of Public Health Diabetes to fight diabetes with support from the Delaware Health Fund. In the 1980’s researchers discovered that individuals with type 1 diabetes produce antibodies against at least three proteins that are normally found in all individuals, i.e., insulin, glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) and IA-2 protein. Autoantibodies to the IA -2 protein are found in 50-75% of type 1 diabetics prior to onset of disease – the appearance of these autoantibodies occurs years ahead of onset of the classical symptoms associated with type 1 diabetes. Measurement of these antibodies can be useful in assisting physicians with the prediction, diagnosis and management of patients with diabetes. “Addressing the high rate of diabetes in Delaware is a priority of the Delaware Health Care Commission,” said Lt. Governor John C. Carney Jr., the Commission’s chair. “We have focused many of our efforts on screening and education and getting people at risk into a doctor’s care. The work being done by Fraunhofer and NIH holds the potential for identifying people with Type 1 diabetes much sooner.” Diagnostic tests currently use radioactive, human recombinant protein antigen that is highly reliable. However this assay is not practical for screening large populations due to the limited availability of the human recombinant antigen and logistical problems related to using radioactivity. Executive Director Dr. Barry Marrs stated, “We will use cutting edge technology that utilizes whole plants and a unique recombinant protein expression system derived from plant viruses to produce the protein antigen for use in the diagnostic screening for type 1 diabetes. This new generation system ensures high yields with characteristics similar in nature to those found in the authentic human protein.” Fraunhofer Center for Molecular Biotechnology is a not-for-profit contract research organization, developing and applying plant science for the production of high valuable proteins. Using the platform of Transient Gene Expression (TGE) provides excellent protein yields in a short time. FhCMB’s mission is to promote partnerships with business, academia, and government agencies to provide rapid, low-cost and safe production of valuable proteins and enzymes that will enhance the quality of life world-wide. April 4, 2002 - Tech Trends 2002 Dr. Barry Marrs, Executive Director, Fraunhofer Center for Molecular Biotechnology was invited to speak at the Tech Trends 2002 conference in Baltimore to discuss the economic impact of molecular farming, functional genomics and directed evolution. The panel was sponsored by SMART (Strengthen the Mid-Atlantic Region for Tomorrow). SMART was formed by congressmen from the Mid-Atlantic region to promote collaboration among technology businesses, medical centers, colleges and universities and federal agencies. February 23, 2002-March 2, 2002 - Pursuing Partnership with Taiwan
November 7, 2001 - Fraunhofer Devises Anti-Bioterrorism Strategy Dr. Barry Marrs, Executive Director of Fraunhofer Center for Molecular Biotechnology, authored a white paper entitled, "A Strategy to Neutralize the Threat of Bioterrorism". The staff of Senator Biden's office arranged for Dr. Marrs to present the proposed strategy to Dr. Fitzmorris at a meeting of the Homeland Security Office in Washington, D.C. |
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At a luncheon held at Fraunhofer USA's Center for Molecular Biotechnology
scholarships. Speakers at the meeting included Dr William Hartman, Vice President of Fraunhofer USA; Dr Dirk Polter of Fraunhofer Gesellschaft; David Jackson, Chairman of the Governor Minner Biotechnology Scholarship Fund Advisory Committee; Fred Sears, President of the Delaware Community Foundation and Dr. Vidadi Yusibov, Executive Director of Fraunhofer CMB. Dr. Yusibov was quoted as saying, 
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