BLUE BELL, Pa., March 26, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Inovio
Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NYSE MKT: INO) today announced that it was
recognized with three industry awards at the World Vaccine
Congress, which is being held this week in Washington, D.C. The Vaccine Industry
Excellence (ViE) Awards recognize outstanding vaccine advancements
and achievements of therapeutic and preventive vaccine developers
across the global industry as judged by a panel of global biotech
industry stakeholders.
Inovio was given accolades by its industry peers for "Best
Therapeutic Vaccine," for its novel immunotherapy for cervical
pre-cancers; "Best Licensing Deal," for its $400 million collaboration with Roche for
Inovio's DNA-based immunotherapies for prostate cancer and
hepatitis B; and, "Best Early Stage Vaccine Biotech," for its
ability to raise funds and build its broad pipeline of
immunotherapies and DNA vaccines.
The "Best Therapeutic Vaccine" award recognizes VGX-3100,
Inovio's DNA vaccine designed to treat HPV-caused cervical
dysplasia as well as cervical cancer, head and neck cancer, and
anogenital cancers caused by HPV. Inovio is currently assessing the
ability of VGX-3100 to treat cervical dysplasias caused by HPV
infection in a global phase II trial, with results expected
mid-year 2014. In previous human studies this therapeutic vaccine
demonstrated that it not only drives robust immune responses to
antigens from high risk types of human papillomavirus (HPV)
infection but that these immune responses display a powerful
killing effect against cells changed by HPV into pre-cancerous
dysplasias. This desirable effect may ultimately contribute to the
regression or elimination of cervical dysplasia and various cancers
caused by HPV. These data have been published in the peer-reviewed
journal, Science-Translational Medicine.
"The Best Vaccine Licensing Deal" recognizes industry business
combinations that possess the greatest potential for success in
bringing innovative medicine to the market. Last year, Inovio
signed a $400 million collaborative
agreement with pharma giant Roche to co-develop Inovio's
therapeutic vaccines for prostate cancer (INO-5150) and hepatitis B
(INO-1800). The deal provided Inovio with an upfront payment of USD
$10 million. Roche is paying for all
preclinical and clinical development costs. Development and
commercial milestones amount to potentially $412.5 million. Additional development milestones
are payable if Roche pursues other indications with INO-5150 or
INO-1800. Inovio is entitled to receive up to double-digit tiered
royalties on product sales.
Inovio was also selected as "The Best Early Stage Vaccine
Biotech" for its pioneering work to advance its portfolio of DNA
vaccines to clinical stage candidates, with notable phase II study
results of its lead immunotherapy forthcoming in the months ahead.
Corporately, Inovio has raised over $120
million in the capital markets in the past year and
established a major collaboration with Roche.
Dr. J. Joseph Kim, President and
CEO, said, "We greatly appreciate the World Vaccine Congress'
recognition of Inovio's leadership and innovation in advancing a
vital new generation of immune-system-stimulating therapies and
vaccines."
About the ViE Awards
The World Vaccine Congress & Expo, now in its 14th year, is
the largest and most comprehensive event in the industry. Covering
everything from the latest R&D to manufacturing to corporate
development strategies, the Congress hosts the only awards ceremony
dedicated to the vaccine industry. The ViE Awards honor
individuals, organizations and initiatives which have made
significant contributions over the past 12 months to innovation in
the field of vaccines.
About Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Inovio is revolutionizing vaccines to prevent and treat today's
cancers and challenging infectious diseases. Its SynCon®
vaccines, in combination with its proprietary electroporation
delivery, are generating best-in-class immune responses, with
therapeutic T-cell responses exceeding other technologies in terms
of magnitude, breadth, and response rate. Human data to date have
shown a favorable safety profile. Inovio's lead vaccine, a
therapeutic against HPV-caused pre-cancers and cancers, is in phase
II. Other phase I and preclinical programs target prostate, breast,
and lung cancers as well as HIV, influenza, malaria and hepatitis.
Partners and collaborators include Roche, the University of Pennsylvania, NIH, HIV Vaccines Trial
Network, National Cancer Institute, U.S. Military HIV Research
Program, University of Southampton, US Dept. of Homeland Security,
University of Manitoba and PATH Malaria
Vaccine Initiative. More information is available at
www.inovio.com.
This press release contains certain forward-looking
statements relating to our business, including our plans to develop
electroporation-based drug and gene delivery technologies and DNA
vaccines and our capital resources. Actual events or results may
differ from the expectations set forth herein as a result of a
number of factors, including uncertainties inherent in pre-clinical
studies, clinical trials and product development programs
(including, but not limited to, the fact that pre-clinical and
clinical results referenced in this release may not be indicative
of results achievable in other trials or for other indications,
that the studies or trials may not be successful or achieve the
results desired, that pre-clinical studies and clinical trials may
not commence or be completed in the time periods anticipated, that
results from one study may not necessarily be reflected or
supported by the results of other similar studies and that results
from an animal study may not be indicative of results achievable in
human studies), the availability of funding to support continuing
research and studies in an effort to prove safety and efficacy of
electroporation technology as a delivery mechanism or develop
viable DNA vaccines, the adequacy of our capital resources, the
availability or potential availability of alternative therapies or
treatments for the conditions targeted by the company or its
collaborators, including alternatives that may be more efficacious
or cost-effective than any therapy or treatment that the company
and its collaborators hope to develop, evaluation of potential
opportunities, issues involving product liability, issues involving
patents and whether they or licenses to them will provide the
company with meaningful protection from others using the covered
technologies, whether such proprietary rights are enforceable or
defensible or infringe or allegedly infringe on rights of others or
can withstand claims of invalidity and whether the company can
finance or devote other significant resources that may be necessary
to prosecute, protect or defend them, the level of corporate
expenditures, assessments of the company's technology by potential
corporate or other partners or collaborators, capital market
conditions, the impact of government healthcare proposals and other
factors set forth in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the
year ended December 31, 2013, and other regulatory filings
from time to time. There can be no assurance that any product in
Inovio's pipeline will be successfully developed or manufactured,
that final results of clinical studies will be supportive of
regulatory approvals required to market licensed products, or that
any of the forward-looking information provided herein will be
proven accurate.
CONTACTS:
Investors: Bernie
Hertel, Inovio Pharmaceuticals, 858-410-3101,
bhertel@inovio.com
Media: Jeff Richardson, Inovio
Pharmaceuticals, 267-440-4211, jrichardson@inovio.com
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SOURCE Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc.