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Inovio Study Results of Gene-Based Therapies for HIV and Vascular Disease Published in Scientific Journals; Articles Published in Collaboration With Boehringer Ingelheim and Chiron Corporation

Posted on: Thursday, 13 October 2005, 06:00 CDT

Inovio Biomedical Corporation (AMEX:INO), a late stage developer of oncology and other therapies using electroporation to deliver drugs and nucleic acids, announced today that two articles presenting study results relating to gene-based therapies for HIV and vascular disease were published in peer-reviewed scientific journals in September 2005. These articles were jointly published with Inovio's collaborators, Chiron Corporation and Boehringer Ingelheim, respectively.

The first article, entitled "Potent immunogenicity of an HIV-1 gag-pol fusion DNA vaccine delivered by in vivo electroporation," was published jointly by Chiron Corporation and Genetronics, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Inovio, in the journal, Vaccine, September 20, 2005. The article reported results of a pre-clinical study of a plasmid DNA vaccine containing an HIV-derived gag-pol fusion gene delivered intramuscularly in non-human primates by Inovio's electroporation technology. The article concluded that this approach was an effective means for inducing high levels of gag and pol-specific T-cells. The gag and pol genes are considered to be potentially effective components of a vaccine against multiple HIV-1 mutants. Co-authors of the article were G.R. Otten, M. Schaefer, B. Doe, H. Liu, J.Z. Megede, J. Donnelly, D. Rabussay, S. Barnett, and J.B. Ulmer.

"We are pleased that Inovio's electroporation-based DNA delivery technology continues to produce outstanding results in boosting the effectiveness of DNA vaccines and that these results are being achieved with respect to a disease such as HIV, which has significant unmet treatment needs," noted Avtar Dhillon, M.D., Inovio's president and CEO. Inovio's electroporation-based gene delivery technology is presently being evaluated in three phase I clinical studies for DNA vaccines and DNA immunotherapies.

A second article, entitled "In vivo human MCP-1 transfection in porcine arteries by intravascular electroporation," was published in Pharmaceutical Research, September 22, 2005. This article reported the efficient delivery of an arteriogenic gene (a gene inducing small vessels to develop into sizeable arteries) into the wall of a blocked artery and concluded that transluminal catheter-based electroporation provides an efficient technology for non-viral intravascular gene transfer. This study was jointly conducted by research groups of Boehringer Ingelheim and Genetronics, Inc. Co-authors of the article were R.W. Seidler, S. Allgauer, S. Ailinger, A. Sterner, N.B. Dev, D. Rabussay, H. Doods, and M.C. Lenter.

"We are encouraged by the performance of our electroporation catheter technology, which could open up exciting medical applications in the vascular therapy field," commented Dr. Avtar Dhillon. "There are many known genes of potential therapeutic significance for vascular diseases. Our electroporation catheter technology may help to overcome the lack of an effective technology for delivering these genes and thus make possible vascular gene therapy."

About Inovio Biomedical Corporation

Inovio Biomedical Corporation is a late stage biomedical company focused on building an oncology franchise based on its proprietary electrochemical tumor ablation system. The therapy targets a significant unmet clinical need: the selective killing of cancer cells and local ablation of solid tumors while preserving healthy tissue. Inovio is moving its lead product, the MedPulser(R), through pre-marketing studies for head and neck cancer and skin cancers in Europe, where it has CE Mark accreditation, a U.S. Phase III pivotal study for recurrent head and neck cancer, and a Phase I pancreatic cancer trial. Vical, University of Southampton, and H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center are using Inovio's gene delivery technology in the first-ever clinical studies of novel DNA vaccines delivered using electroporation, which enhances local delivery and cellular uptake of useful biopharmaceuticals, and Merck is a development partner for the gene delivery technology. Inovio is a leader in developing human therapeutic applications of electroporation, with 60 U.S. and 140 corresponding foreign issued patents, plus numerous pending patents in the U.S. and abroad. More information can be obtained at www.inovio.com.

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements relating to Inovio's plans to develop its electroporation drug and gene delivery technology and to maximize shareholder value. Actual events or results may differ from Inovio's expectations as a result of a number of factors, including the uncertainties inherent in clinical trials and product development programs, evaluation of potential opportunities, the level of corporate expenditures, the assessment of Inovio's technology by potential corporate partners, capital market conditions, and other factors set forth in Inovio's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2004, and its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the three months ended June 30, 2005, and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. There can be no assurance that any product in the Inovio product pipeline will be successfully developed or manufactured, or that final results of clinical studies will be supportive of regulatory approvals required to market licensed products.

Source: Business Wire

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