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847 APBN • Vol. 7 • No. 14 • 2003 Company News Australia Panvax’s Foot-and-Mouth Vaccine Program Panvax Limited, a subsidiary of Prima Biomed Limited, has received US$0.2 million from the Australian Research Council (ARC) Linkage Project Grant to boost its 3-year vaccine development program — collaboration between Panvax, University of Melbourne’s Center for Animal Biotechnology, and the Austin Research Institute (ARI). Essentially, the program exploits the DCtag (DC stands for dendritic cell) technology and focuses on the studies of the DCtag mechanism of action in sheep. It hopes to develop a novel vaccine for the foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV). The DCtag technology — a vaccine carrier platform technology — helps to target highly specific components (proteins) to induce protective immunity rather than the entire virus, thus rendering it possible to differentiate between vaccinated animals from carriers. To date, it has been shown to induce high levels of immune killer cells (CD8+) and antibodies in animal models. Panvax is currently completing the first stage of its R&D program The company have been allowed to enter into negotiations for commercialization and collaboration of DCtag as an adjuvant (an immunological agent that increases the antigenic response) earlier than forecast. Immune Killer Cells (CD8+). (Source: Russell Kightley Media) About Panax Limited Panax Limited is a biotechnology company jointly owned by Prima Biomed and the Austin Research Institute. The company is developing the DCtag technology for use as an adjuvant to vaccines for infectious diseases and immunotherapies in the treatment of cancer. Contact Details Prima Biomed Limited Tel: +61 3 9287 0637 Fax: +61 3 9287 0639 E-mail: [email protected] Agenix’s ThromboView Phase Ia Blood Clot Trial Successful Brisbane — Agenix Limited (ASX:AGX; NASDAQ:AGXLY) recently announced its successful phase Ia trial for ThromboView a patient-treatment component blood clot-detection technology. The development of ThromboView will have a positive impact globally. ThromboView uses a clot-binding monoclonal antibody attached to a radiolabel. When injected into a patient with suspected blood clots, the radiolabeled antibody will flow through the person’s body and bind to any existing blood clots. A camera then detects the presence of the blood clots. A total of 32 patients have been selected for the trial, said Dr. David Macfarlane, Department of Nuclear Medicine at the Royal Brisbane Hospital. So far, the trial is going well and there are no serious side effects reported. “The results are so far on track. All four-dose levels of ThromboView were well tolerated and there were no serious side effects. The Phase Ia report will be part of a package for an Investigational New Drug (IND) application with the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA),” added Macfarlane. Further testing of ThromboView will proceed under the IND.

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Page 1: Panvax’s Foot-and-Mouth Vaccine Program€¦ · Australia Panvax’s Foot-and-Mouth Vaccine Program Panvax Limited, a subsidiary of Prima Biomed Limited, has received US$0.2 million

847APBN • Vol. 7 • No. 14 • 2003

Company News

Australia

Panvax’s Foot-and-MouthVaccine Program

Panvax Limited, a subsidiary of Prima BiomedLimited, has received US$0.2 million from the AustralianResearch Council (ARC) Linkage Project Grant to boostits 3-year vaccine development program —collaboration between Panvax, University ofMelbourne’s Center for Animal Biotechnology, and theAustin Research Institute (ARI).

Essentially, the program exploits the DCtag (DCstands for dendritic cell) technology and focuses on thestudies of the DCtag mechanism of action in sheep. Ithopes to develop a novel vaccine for the foot-and-mouthdisease virus (FMDV).

The DCtag technology — a vaccine carrier platformtechnology — helps to target highly specific components(proteins) to induce protective immunity rather than theentire virus, thus rendering it possible to differentiatebetween vaccinated animals from carriers. To date, ithas been shown to induce high levels of immune killercells (CD8+) and antibodies in animal models.

Panvax is currently completing the first stage of itsR&D program The company have been allowed to enterinto negotiations for commercialization andcollaboration of DCtag as an adjuvant (animmunological agent that increases the antigenicresponse) earlier than forecast.

Immune Killer Cells (CD8+). (Source: Russell Kightley Media)

About Panax Limited

Panax Limited is a biotechnology company jointlyowned by Prima Biomed and the Austin ResearchInstitute. The company is developing the DCtagtechnology for use as an adjuvant to vaccines forinfectious diseases and immunotherapies in thetreatment of cancer.

Contact DetailsPrima Biomed LimitedTel: +61 3 9287 0637Fax: +61 3 9287 0639E-mail: [email protected]

Agenix’s ThromboViewPhase Ia Blood Clot TrialSuccessful

Brisbane — Agenix Limited (ASX:AGX;NASDAQ:AGXLY) recently announced its successfulphase Ia trial for ThromboView a patient-treatmentcomponent blood clot-detection technology. Thedevelopment of ThromboView will have a positiveimpact globally.

ThromboView uses a clot-binding monoclonalantibody attached to a radiolabel. When injected intoa patient with suspected blood clots, the radiolabeledantibody will flow through the person’s body and bindto any existing blood clots. A camera then detects thepresence of the blood clots.

A total of 32 patients have been selected for thetrial, said Dr. David Macfarlane, Department of NuclearMedicine at the Royal Brisbane Hospital. So far, thetrial is going well and there are no serious side effectsreported.

“The results are so far on track. All four-dose levelsof ThromboView were well tolerated and there wereno serious side effects. The Phase Ia report will be partof a package for an Investigational New Drug (IND)application with the US Food & Drug Administration(FDA),” added Macfarlane. Further testing ofThromboView will proceed under the IND.

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Thromboembolism is the third most commoncause of cardiovascular death after heart attackand stroke. It has an estimated fatality of 10 000for undetected blood clots each year in Australia.Meanwhile, there are approximately 33 000 casesof deep vein thrombosis and approximately 4200cases of pulmonary embolism (clots in the lungs)each year in Australia.

About Agenix Limited

Agenix Limited is a Brisbane-based listedcompany. It manufactures, distributes and marketshuman and veterinary diagnostics test kits, over-the-counter pharmaceuticals and infant careproducts via its wholly owned subsidiaries AGENBiomedical and Milton Pharmaceuticals. Agenixfocuses on developing a horizontally integratedproduct portfolio to service the needs of the acutephase thrombosis market.

Contact DetailsAddress: 11 Durbell Street, Acacia Ridge,

QLD 4110, AustraliaTel: +61 7 3370 6396Fax: +61 7 3370 6347Email: [email protected]: www.agenix.com

China

Sino-Australian JointVenture Established

The Sino-Australian joint venture ShandongMichel Biological Products Company has beenestablished in Taian of Shandong Province,between Shandong Provincial Biological ProductsInstitute and the Australian Michel Company.Shandong Michel will focus on research andproduction of biotechnological products. Itsrecently developed formulation of non-blood typespecific virus-killed human albumin has beenpatented and is currently under review by the SDApending future production and marketing.

Beijing Deweizhi’s LatestDrug ProcurementAgreement

Beijing Deweizhi Pharmacy recently signed agreementson drug procurement and sales with twelve pharmaceuticalproduction companies, including Sino-TianjinSmithKline&French, Guilin Sanjin Pharma and No. 6 Pharmaof Hayao Group. Under the agreements Deweizhi chain storeswill procure drugs from those twelve companies worth a totalof US$24 million. Large-scale purchases from majorpharmaceuticals will help Deweizhi lower its retail priceswhile maintaining the quality of drugs sold.

Beijing Deweizhi is a new player in the Beijing drugretail market. In 2002 it opened five discount chain drugstoresin Beijing, each occupying 700 square meters. In that year, itgained a total sales income of almost US$1.2 million. Productsfrom the twelve companies mentioned above accounted for30 percent of its sales. Deweizhi aims to open 15–20 newstores by the end of 2003.

Shandong EnterprisesCollaborate with BeijingUniversities

Eight pharmaceutical manufacturing enterprises locatedin Shandong have entered cooperation agreements in R&Dwith five universities and research institutes in Beijing,involving research themes ranging from the R&D of new drugsto organo-silicon rubber.

The enterprises involved are Fangming Pharma,Qingzhou Raowang Pharma, Ahua Pharma, ShandongDong’e Ejiao Pharma, Lukang Pharma, Pingyuan Pharma,Dongying Xianhe Pharma and Shandong Fenghuang Pharma.The universities and research institutes enlisted include theBeijing Institute of Technology, the Chinese Academy ofSciences, Tsinghua University and Peking University.

Shandong QiluPharmaceutical LaunchesIndobufen Tablets

The indobufen tablets produced by Shandong QiluPharmaceutical have been certified and given production

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permits by the SDA. Indobufen is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory anticoagulant, which is used in heartattack and stroke therapy, is not available in the US.

Qilu Pharmaceutical is one of the 100 biggestpharmaceutical enterprises in China and has beenranked among the top 100 new technology enterprisesin China.

Domestic AIDS DrugCleared For Marketing

Northeast General Pharmaceutical’s formulation ofstavudine under the brand name Shazhi has beengranted marketing clearance by the SDA. Marketedunder the name Shazhi, this is the second anti-HIV drugmarketed by Northeast General Pharmaceutical. Thefirst, a zidovudine formulation, was launched inSeptember 2002, marketed under the name Ke Du.

About Northeast Pharmaceutical Group (NEPG)

It is one of the first 55 pilot enterprise groups inChina, is a comprehensive pharmaceutical enterprise.Its core is the Northeast General Pharmaceutical Factory.It comprises of one holding company, five state-ownedaffiliates, 22 affiliated companies and threeadministration-entrusted companies. Currently, the totalcapital and property of NEPG amounts to RMB 4.3billion. Its products include more than 100pharmaceutical materials and intermediates such asantibiotics and vitamins as well as more than 800 kindsof pharmaceutical preparations such as injections,tablets, biochemical products, anesthetics and medicalinstruments.

Azithromycin PowderMarketed by ZhejiangKangyu

The freeze-dried azithromycin sodium dihydrogencitrate powder developed by Zhejiang KangyuPharmaceutical has been granted a production permitby the SDA. The powder is intended for injections asan infusion and is marketed under the name Na Qi.

Injectable azithromycin is more effective than itsorally administered counterpart and can be used againstGram positive and negative bacteria, anaerobic bacteriaand STD-causing microbes. It is intended for use intreating pneumonia and pelvic infections.

Trial Reforms in ZhejiangDrug DistributionIndustry

The Zhejiang Provincial Economic and TradeCommission has designated seven drug distributioncompanies in the region as trial units to carry out reformsof the drug distribution business. The pharmaceuticaldistribution companies in Zhejiang generate about 50percent of the total profits of the entire drug distributionsector. However, most of the state-owned companieslack modern marketing and management expertise.

The reforms executed include:

• Encouraging drug distribution companies toestablish overseas companies and branches,

• Act as drug import agencies,

• Expand through mergers and acquisitions,

• Attract investments from other sectors, and

• To adopt new business forms such as contractsales and commission sales.

Drug distribution companies have also been calledon to establish drug delivery and distribution centers,set up chain stores and expand business throughelectronic commerce. The long-term aim is to reduceoverall operational expenses by three percent for drugwholesalers and five percent for drug retailers.

Anti-Cancer Drug EntersPhase II Clinical Trials

YH-16, a recombinant anti-cancer humanendostatin developed by Shandong RongchangBioengineering Co, has been undergoing Phase IIclinical trials. YH-16 is the first endostatin grantedclinical trials by the Chinese SDA. It is expected to enterPhase III clinical trials this year. Other endostatins are

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also undergoing clinical trials in the US and Europe.One course of treatment with YH-16 is expected to costUS$1200–2400.

Bioway’s Nerve GrowthFactor Put into Production

The new mouse nerve growth factor (mNGF),Nobex (not to be confused with the US medical devicecompany of the same name), developed by Bioway Co,has been cleared for production and marketing by theSDA.

The in vivo pre-clinical and clinical testing hasdemonstrated that mNGF stimulates nerve cellproliferation and plays an essential role in thedevelopment and survival of certain sympathetic andsensory neurons in both the central and peripheralnervous systems. It can regulate nervous systemdevelopment, as well as adult nervous system plasticityand maintenance of structural integrity and has notshown any major side effects in clinical trials.

Latest Drug DeliveryCenter in Operation

Chongqing Peace Drug Wholesaling Company hascommenced operation in the Nan’an Region ofChongqing municipality. It will function as a regionaldrug delivery center, providing services to drug retailingoutlets, hospitals and clinics in the surrounding countriesand towns.

Chongqing Pharmaceutical Co. is a leading drugdistributor in Chongqing. The company achieved salesof US$253 million in 2001 and over US$325 million in2002. Its subsidiary Peace Drug Chain Company hasopened 800 chain stores in several provinces.

However, in Chongqing, logistics are generallyhandled by a large number of small-scale companies,resulting in numerous difficulties in tracking andregulation of shipments. To improve the situation,Chongqing Pharmaceutical has started a project toupgrade the Peace Drug Modern Logistics System and

the Drug Chain Management Network with the aid ofstate bonds.

The project is supported by a total of US$22.9million in investments and aims to establishheadquarters for drug delivery in Guizhou Province andKunming in Yunnan Province as well as setting upregional drug delivery centers in Nan’an Province inChongqing and Nanchong in Sichuan.

India

Metahelix Signs GenomeResearch Deal withViaLactia Biosciences

Metahelix Life Sciences, a Bangalore-basedagricultural biotechnology company, has signed a four-year plant functional genomics research agreement withViaLactia Biosciences of New Zealand. Essentially, theresearch focuses at the functional validation of a largenumber of pasture plants’ genes, which has potentialsin improving plant varieties of pasture and crop plants,revealed Dr. K. K. Naryanan, Managing Director ofMetahelix.

Metahelix will be working on ryegrass, an importantpasture grass, which has been the subject of limitedselective breeding, and therefore, is a relatively wildspecies that could have important abiotic (drought- andstress-tolerant) traits that rice and other cereals couldbenefit from.

In the collaboration, Vialactia will leverage on itsknowledge about ryegrass functional genomics programto develop commercial rice varieties in India throughDhaanya Seeds, a subsidiary seed production andmarketing firm of Metahelix.

“ViaLactia will use the Metahelix ricetransformation system for lab-based functionalassignment of pasture plant genes,” Dr. Naryanan said.The collaboration also emphasizes the importance ofexperimental functional validation of genes derived fromgenome-sequencing efforts.

Metahelix’s relationship with ViaLactia is the firstamong a series of moves that Metahelix has made toleverage its strong plant biotechnology platform.

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Functional genomics is an essential next stepin discovery research. Without it, much of thedata generated from sequencing cannot be usedeffectively.

AstraZeneca SeeksExclusive MarketingRights for New Drugsin India

In what could potentially be the first case ofexclusive marketing rights in the pharma industry,Anglo-Swedish pharma major AstraZeneca hasapproached the Indian government for exclusivemarketing rights (EMRs) for two new generationdrugs — anti-cancer drug Iressa and acardiovascular drug Exanta.

Iressa has been approved for the treatmentof advanced non-small cell lung cancer whileExanta, a cardiovascular drug, is an orally activedirect thrombin inhibitor. AstraZeneca claimedthat the drugs meet all the conditions laid out forgrant of EMRs by the Indian government and thecompany is quite confident of getting the nod.

A senior executive of the company said thatit is preparing for launching at least one of thedrugs, most probably Irresa, in the Indian marketby next year. Since its launch in Japan in July’02, Iressa has recorded a US$86 million sales.The worldwide market for lung cancer is currentlyworth approximately US$1.6 billion.

Both drugs have been developed andreceived patent approvals well after January ’95,the main criteria for grant of EMRs under the newIndian act. To date, both the drugs have alreadybeen granted EMRs in one of the TRIPS signatorycountries.

Although the government has startedreceiving applications for EMRs almost two yearsnow, it has yet to grant a single EMR so far. Theauthorities have rejected some of the applicationsfor EMRs as they did not meet certain stipulatedcriteria for grant of EMRs.

Imaging Technology Utilizedin Meat ContaminantScreening

eMerge Interactive unveiled its VerifEYE Solo HandheldMeat-Inspection Device — the only commercially availableimaging system capable of detecting microscopic levels oforganic contamination bacteria such as E. Coli, Salmonellaand Listeria at a glance — at Tokyo’s 2003 International FoodMachinery and Technology Exhibition (FOOMA).

According to the company spokesman, there are manyinternational inquiries for the device in recent months andeMerge’s officials are currently in discussions with a numberof international distribution partners.

“We are in the process of selecting distribution partnerscapable of developing a major market presence for eMerge inJapan and other leading meat-producing nations,” said DavidWarren, CEO and President of eMerge.

About eMerge

eMerge Interactive is a technology company that providesfood-safety services to the beef production industry, as well asanimal tracking services. The individual-animal trackingtechnologies include CattleLog, an exclusive data-collectionand reporting system that enables beef-verification andbranding. The company’s food-safety technologies includeVerifEYE, a meat-inspection system that was developed andpatented by scientists at Iowa State University and theAgricultural Research Service of the USFDA.

Contact DetailseMerge InteractiveE-mail: [email protected]: www.emergeinteractive.com

Japan

Inproser Launches In’novaseProject in Malaysia

Inproser Group of the Netherlands has scheduled to kickoff a RM75 million (US$19.74 million) In’novase project in

Malaysia

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Malaysia in 2004, involving extraction and purificationtechnologies. The project is expected to be in operationby next year with a projected annual revenue of RM500million (US$132 million) within three years.

In’novase, to be based in Malaysia’s Bio Valley,would focus on two major activities:

• High-end sugar extraction from Orgafeedconversion technology by means of supercriticalfluid chromatography,

• Purification of DHA and EPA, components fromOmega-3 oil, from hybrid fishes bred in itsInproser farms, employing Orgafeed processtechnology (from Novasep SA, France) andbiotechnological process OZIIG.

According to Henri ten Have, Inproser’s Presidentand CEO, at present, the high-end sugar available inthe market are largely synthesized at molecular level,incurring a high production cost compared to Inproser’ssugars, which are extracted in natural forms. Inproserpositions itself as future major supplier for high-endnatural sugars such as D-Mannose, D-Rhamnose, D-Arabinose, D-Galactose, D-Xylose and a variety ofdisaccharides.

The group will conduct advanced research to purifyvaluable components at molecular level from VitaminE for special medical applications and development ofnew medicines. Currently, it has embarked on anextensive program to transfer biotechnology and allowlocal graduates to do perform doctorate researchstudies.

Asia’s First Human InsulinPlant

GeneMedix Plc recently announced its jointventure with Malaysia’s Penang DevelopmentCorporation (PDC) to set up a new facility for thedevelopment, manufacture and commercialization ofhuman insulin. This project anticipates an investmentworth US$34 million, funded by a mixture ofdevelopment loans, grants and a form of equity in thenewly formed company from local investors.

In the agreement, GeneMedix would construct thefacility and out-license its existing insulin know-how tothe new company in return for an up-front milestone

payment and royalty fee payable on sales of bulkproduct. The plant if scheduled for completion in mid2005. Meanwhile, it will retain a majority shareholdingin the new company. On the other hand, PDC will makeland available and assist in gaining access to thedevelopment loans on attractive commercial terms andto grant funding.

Chief Minister of Penang, Dr. Koh Tsu Koon, saidthat GeneMedix’s decision to set up the plant on theisland is a major breakthrough for Malaysia in itsinitiative to move into biotechnology andbiopharmaceutical development and production.

According to GeneMedix’s CEO, Paul Edwards, ithas always been the company’s objective to set up aninsulin company in Southeast Asia to cater to the Asianmarket where the demand for human insulin isanticipated to increase. Penang is chosen over severalother sites in Asia because of its good infrastructure,manufacturing base and the support from PDC.

Insulin is an important hormone secreted bypancreas that enables human body cells to absorbglucose from nutrients in the blood. The failure toproduce insulin naturally in diabetic conditions requiresinsulin intake. Modern DNA techniques make possiblethe cloning and mass reproduction of human insulinthrough a series of sophisticated biotechnologyprocesses. The annual human insulin demand exceedsRM19 billion (US$5 billion).

About GeneMedix

GeneMedix, based in Suffolk, UK, is a bio-genericcompany involved in the development andmanufacturing of drugs made from genetic engineering.Founded through collaboration and joint venture withthe Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry, GeneMedixsponsored research and subsequently acquired rightsto the manufacture and sale of specifiedbiopharmaceutical proteins using recombinant DNAtechnology.

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Singapore

World’s Smallest HeartPump Undergoing ClinicalTrial

Heart disease patients may soon be able to givetheir ailing hearts a relief from having to endure thetrauma of heart surgeries. A device, certifiably theworld’s smallest, can perform the involuntary pumpingwork of the heart, giving the sick heart a chance torecover. This heart pump may very well be the perfectalternative to a heart transplant since it is believed tosustain the patients for a long period of time withoutrunning the risk of infection.

The main advantages of this new device are:

• Much smaller and lighter (only 50 grams) thanexisting heart pumps on the market,

• Easier to implant since there is no need for openheart surgery and also fewer risks of infection(compared to the current heart pumps which canweigh over a kilogram and have tubes extendingout of the body to an external power source,making the patient vulnerable to infections), and

• Its motor and all the components fit comfortablyunder the skin, pumping blood via tubes attachedto blood vessels in the patient’s shoulder andhip.

The Nanyang Technological University (NTU) haspatented the technology. According to Assoc. Prof. MaJan, a key team member of the project, researchers atthe school achieved a breakthrough when theysuccessfully applied electric fields to move molecule-sized ceramic particles to help create the tiny enginepowering the pump.

OrqisTM Medical, an American biomedicalcompany specializing in heart pumps, has beenlicensed to conduct clinical trials on patients with end-stage heart failure, prior the US Food and DrugAdministration (FDA) approves sale of the device.

In Singapore alone, heart disease kills every onein four people, rendering it the second killer. In 2000,over 5000 people were admitted (doubling in ten years)to hospitals for cardiac disorders; many of these arelate-stage heart failures where patients need drugs, heartpumps and, as a last resort, heart transplants.

Though the new device sounds far more promisingthan any existing heart pumps on the market, it will besome time more before it is available as the ideal internalheart pump for patients.

Meantime, clinical trials are ongoing in the US andEurope for new cardiac devices such as artificial heart,which serves to replace the human heart. Nonetheless,scientists hope to salvage the human heart. Nonetheless,scientists hope to salvage the damaged heart bysupplying the appropriate regenerative tissues via stemcell research.

In Brief:

• The new heart pump weighs only

50grams, and capable of performing

involuntary pumping, thus giving the

ailing organ a chance to recover.

• The device is easier to implant since

there is no need for heart surgery,

hence reduces the risks of infection.

• The technology, patented by the

Nanyang Technological University,

has been licensed to an American

biomedical company, OrqisTM

Medical.

About Heart Failure…

Heart failure, commonly known as Congestive HeartFailure (CHF), is a condition where there is ineffectivepumping of the heart, leading to an accumulation of fluid inthe lungs. Typical symptoms include shortness of breath withexertion, difficulty breathing when lying flat and leg or ankleswelling.

The forefront of CHF research is based on theadvancement towards reversal and recovery of the failing heart.Unloading of sufficient magnitude and duration can result inreversal of ventricular chamber enlargement and normalizationof cardiac structure.

Pharmacological treatments largely dominate the currenttherapy for CHF and show reduction of heart wall stress andmass. Most current device solutions involve major surgical

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interventions, which are often invasive, and this limits theapplication for CHF patients.

About OrqisTM Medical

OrqisTM Medical was formed to develop andcommercialize an active Cardiac Recovery System (CRS)for treating patients with CHF, who are not respondingwell to medication, but are considered premature forthe more invasive treatments and devices currentlyavailable.

The company intends to serve a significant unmetclinical need by developing a less invasive approach tosymptom treatment for acute or CHF, which facilitatespotential recovery, where recovery is feasible.

Founded in 1997, OrqisTM Medical is a DelawareCorporation with US headquarters in Lake Forest,California. Its principal business is in the design anddevelopment of systems to help manage the progressionof CHF. The older and larger current version of the heart pump.

Kaohxiong Biological Product Co. Signs DistributionAgreement with Bayer

German pharmaceutical giants Bayer recently signed a distribution agreement with Kaohxiong Biological ProductCo, making them the local distributors of the swine Atrophic Rhinitis vaccine newly developed by the latter.

Bayer is also interested in securing Asia-Pacific distribution rights for the vaccine, sales of which are estimated toreach US$28.9 million in Taiwan and US$289 million in the Asia-Pacific region.

Both parties were competitors for acquisition of the vaccine technology when it was first developed in Taiwan’sNational Chunghsing University, with Kaohxiong Biological piping Bayer to the rights after the latter proved unableto set up production facilities in Taiwan.

Atrophic Rhinitis is an infectious disease of the nasal bones of pigs. It causes inflammation of the lining of thenose, twisted and shortened noses and poor growth rates, which can cause a 15 percent reduction in swine productivity.It is extremely widespread in almost all pig breeding countries, with 92 percent mild and 26 percent moderateinfection rates, which are not uncommon. The pathogens are able to transmit through air and can be passed by sowsto offspring during birth.

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Agilent Technologies Expands Mass SpectrometryPortfolio with New MS Instruments and

Proteomics SoftwareAgilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE:␣ A) announced the

expansion of its mass spectrometry (MS) product linewith five new products, including Agilent’s first TOFmass spectrometer, improved quadrupole models, anda powerful new high-throughput proteomics softwarepackage. These new products improve the identificationand quantification of chemicals and biologicalmolecules in applications including environmentalscreening, drug discovery and development, andproteomics.

“Mass spectrometry is essential for a wide range ofchemical analysis disciplines and expanding life scienceresearch fields,” said Chris van Ingen, Senior VicePresident and General Manager of Agilent’s Life Scienceand Chemical Analysis business. “The introduction ofour TOF instrument is a significant milestone in theexpansion of our mass spectrometry-based solutions andprovides a complement to our quadrupole and ion trapsystems. Agilent is committed to improving our newand existing solutions for customers.”

The five new products introduced includethe following:

1. Agilent LC/MSD TOF (Time-of-Flight) Mass Spectrometer

The Agilent LC/MSD TOF offers chemists whosynthesize drug candidates definitive molecular weightand elemental composition information. This providesthe extra confidence required for publication or patentapplication.

2. Agilent 1100 Series LC/MSD Ion Trap Mass Spectrometer

The new LC/MSD Trap XCT features a new, high-capacity ion trap and related changes, yielding a 10Xincrease in sensitivity and significant improvements inscan speed and/or mass resolution over Agilent’s currention traps. The LC/MSD Trap XCT’s new peptide scanmode improves identification of proteins from complexpeptide digest mixtures.

3. Spectrum Mill MS Proteomics Workbench

Agilent’s new Spectrum Mill MS proteomicsworkbench is a suite of software tools for processingMS and MS/MS spectral data, determining proteinidentities and expression levels, and creatingmeaningful cross-sample and cross-experiment resultssummaries. The product features intelligent extractionand quality assessment of the raw spectral data, and

intelligent parallel processing during database searching,allowing the Spectrum Mill workbench to process datain minutes as opposed to the hours or days requiredusing other approaches.

4. Agilent Orthogonal Nanospray Ion Source

Available for the LC/MSD Trap XCT and the otherAgilent ion trap mass spectrometers is a new orthogonalnanospray ion source. This product operates at thenanoliter-per-minute flow rates that provide the utmostin electrospray sensitivity. This is the only nanosprayion source available that uses Agilent’s patentedorthogonal spray technology to minimize requiredadjustments and maximize reliability. The orthogonalnanospray ion source, LC/MSD Trap XCT, and SpectrumMill workbench together form a powerful solution foridentification of low-abundance, biologically significantproteins.

5. Agilent 1100 Series LC/MSD VL and SL Quadrupole Mass Spectrometers

Upgraded models provide significantimprovements in performance. Each uses a single, split-flow turbomolecular high-vacuum pump that improvespumping capacity. With fewer components and movingparts, this simplified vacuum system should further boostthe LC/MSDs’ outstanding reliability.

Also new is enhanced ion optics. Combined withthe improved pumping in the ion optics region, theenhanced ion optics gives the LC/MSD an approximately2X improvement in sensitivity.

About Agilent Technologies

Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE:␣ A) is a globaltechnology leader in communications, electronics, lifesciences and chemical analysis. The company’s 32 000employees serve customers in more than 110 countries.Agilent had net revenue of US$6 billion in fiscal year2002. Information about Agilent is available on the Webat www.agilent.com.

Contact DetailsHelen NgTel: +65 6215 4463Email: [email protected]

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