Firm developing advanced technology to improve vaccine effectiveness joins Purdue Research Park
September 15, 2010
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Biosciences Vaccines Inc., a firm developing advanced technology to improve the performance of vaccines administered for the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases and cancers, has become a tenant of the Purdue Research Park of West Lafayette.
Bioscience Vaccines' Extracellular Matrix (ECM) technology is an additive that helps vaccines work more effectively at a reduced cost. The technology, which routinely is used in various medical device applications, is a naturally occurring biomaterial. Bioscience Vaccines' technology will benefit hospitals and medical and veterinary clinics that regularly vaccinate patients.
The company was established in 2009 by an experienced team that includes Paul Hall, senior scientific adviser; Katie Harrigan, vice president of new product development; Anthony Hubbard, executive vice president and CFO; Amy Overby, vice president of research innovation; Rae Record Ritchie, senior scientist; and Mark Suckow, chief scientific officer. Suckow, the Director of the Freimann Life Science Center at the University of Notre Dame, also is an adjunct associate professor of laboratory animal medicine in Purdue University's School of Veterinary Medicine.
Overby explained how the Extracellular Matrix technology might benefit patients and the health-care industry.
"The combination of the additive and an existing vaccine may make it possible to expand the number of doses available to a given patient population, which ultimately can reduce health-care costs," she said. "The ECM technology enhances vaccines by stimulating the patient's immunity enough to protect him or her against disease. Our data also indicates that the ECM technology combined with cancer vaccines can inhibit tumor cell growth in various types of cancers. The base ECM technology has extensive safety data in humans."
Bioscience Vaccines received a $400,000 investment from the Indiana Seed Fund, which is managed by the state's life sciences initiative BioCrossroads, and already has attracted the attention of additional corporate partners.
Overby said the vaccine market will experience growth in the future.
"It has been projected there will be $8 billion in sales in cancer vaccines by 2012 and around $34 billion in sales in infectious disease vaccines worldwide by 2014," she said. "Experts in the pharmaceutical industry suggest the next 10 years will be an 'Age of Vaccines' during which vaccines will be developed for a wide variety of diseases. My colleagues and I feel that we are well positioned to establish ourselves as a supplier for improved vaccine technology as the demand increases."
Overby concluded by explaining why Bioscience Vaccines became a tenant in the Purdue Research Park of West Lafayette.
"Having access to Purdue University, particularly the Purdue Cancer Center and the School of Veterinary Medicine, allows us to perform the research and development needed to get our product to the market in a timely manner," she said. "Additionally, many of the firm's founders and employees live in West Lafayette, and we want to continue to strengthen the area's reputation in the life sciences sector."
About Bioscience Vaccines Inc.
Bioscience Vaccines Inc. (http://biosciencevaccines.com/) is an emerging-stage, life sciences company with proprietary vaccine development technology. Our technology is based on an abundant, naturally occurring biomaterial that will make possible great advancements in the fields of prevention and treatment of various disease states. Our product has the potential to be formulated as a companion product with vaccine products already approved and marketed for use by the FDA for the prevention of specific human diseases and by the USDA for the prevention of animal diseases.
About Purdue Research Park
The Purdue Research Park (http://www.purdueresearchpark.com) has the largest university-affiliated business incubation complex in the country in four locations across Indiana. The parks are home to about 200 companies that employ 4,000 people and are located in West Lafayette, Merrillville, Indianapolis and New Albany.
Purdue Research Park contact:
Steve Martin, 765-588-3342, sgmartin@prf.org
Source:
Amy Overby, 765-464-5892, aoverby@biosciencevaccines.com
