Vaccine company gets broad patent coverage for its core technology platform.

2004 FEB 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Juvaris BioTherapeutics, Inc., has received notice of allowance from the U.S. Patent Office covering its core technology platform.

The company is focused on the development of a new generation of therapeutic vaccines for the treatment of infectious diseases, cancer, and potential biological weapons.

The allowed patent, entitled "Systemic Immune Activation Method Using Nucleic Acid-Lipid Complexes," teaches a composition of matter and method for up-regulating the immune system using a cationic liposome delivery vehicle together with a nucleic acid molecule. The nucleic acid molecule may be either an oligonucleotide with a CpG motif or a nucleic acid vector without a gene insert.

The company believes the technology's ability to augment and boost a diseased patient's immune system will substantially impact the disease process and will lead to an array of commercial product opportunities. Preclinical therapeutic efficacy, supporting this concept, has already been demonstrated in canines with naturally occurring disease. Moreover, the enhanced immunological responsiveness generated by lipid-DNA complexes has been corroborated by independent academic investigators and published in peer-reviewed journals.

In commenting on the development, Martin D. Cleary, company president and CEO, said, "This patent solidifies Juvaris' leadership position in the development of important new immunotherapeutics ...