FACTBOX-Biotech companies benefiting from flu outbreakTue Sep 8,...

FACTBOX-Biotech companies benefiting from flu outbreak
Tue Sep 8, 2009 4:10pm EDT
Sept 8 (Reuters) - Here is a list of biotech companies
whose shares may rise or fall depending on the course of the
swine flu pandemic. [ID:nN08290390]
* GILEAD SCIENCES INC (GILD.O) - Receives royalties on sales of
the Tamiflu pill, which Roche Holding AG (ROG.VX) sells under
license from Gilead. According to analysts at Barclays Capital,
current projections for the second half of the year suggest
combined seasonal and pandemic Tamiflu sales of $1 billion.
* BIOTA HOLDINGS LTD (BTA.AX) - The Australian biotech company
receives royalties on sales of the inhaled antiviral drug
Relenza, which is marketed by GlaxoSmithKline Plc (GSK.L).
Biota's royalties more than doubled to $37.5 million in the
year to June. The company is developing a new flu drug,
laninamivir, with Daiichi Sankyo (4568.T). Late stage studies
in Asia showed a single dose of inhaled laninamivir alleviated
flu as effectively as five days of twice-daily Tamiflu.
[ID:nSYU00700]
* NOVAVAX INC (NVAX.O) - Will apply to U.S. Food and Drug
Administration in the fourth quarter to start human clinical
trials of its H1N1 vaccine. An earlier trial of the virus-like
particle (VLP) vaccine showed it protected ferrets from swine
flu. The vaccines can be grown in caterpillar cells and can be
produced much quicker than traditional vaccines made using
chicken eggs. [ID:nN08282338]
* BIOCRYST PHARMACEUTICALS INC (BCRX.O) - Has intravenous
antiviral called peramivir in late stage development. A
late-stage trial sponsored by partner Shionogi & Co Ltd
(4507.T) of Japan showed peramivir was no less effective than
Tamiflu. [ID:nBNG420589]
* VICAL INC (VICL.O) - Developing a gene-based vaccine using
its Vaxfectin adjuvant, which boosts the immune system. Early
trials showed it produced a robust immune responses in animals.
The company is developing vaccines against the H5N1 avian flu
strain and the new H1N1 virus. [ID:nN08286070]
* INOVIO BIOMEDICAL CORP (INO.A) - Developing DNA-based H1N1
flu vaccines that protect pigs and mice. It will jointly
develop universal influenza vaccines -- vaccines that target
several strains of the virus -- with the National Institutes of
Health's research unit. [ID:nWNBB2238]
* MEDICAGO INC (MDG.V) - The Canadian biotech makes
protein-based vaccines through the genetic engineering of
plants such as tobacco. It is working to form agreements in
different geographies. Most recently, it said it expects to
sign a licensing agreement with a Middle East company that will
pave the way for the say for the development of its swine flu
vaccine in the region. [ID:nN31441760]
* GENEREX BIOTECHNOLOGY CORP (GNBT.O) - Making synthetic
peptide vaccines. These differ from egg-based vaccines in that
they do not use a live virus. Instead, peptides are arranged so
as to mimic the virus, priming the immune system. The vaccines
are designed to be produced more quickly than traditional
vaccines. Generex will apply to U.S. regulators in the
fourth-quarter to start human trials.
* CRUCELL NV (CRCL.AS) - The Dutch biotech plans to begin
clinical trials of its experimental antibody-based flu drug mAB
CR6261 next year. The company's PER.C6 technology uses human
cells rather than chicken eggs to produce an antibody to
prevent a infection with a variety of flu viruses.
[ID:nLB422830]
* CSL Ltd (CSL.AX) - Australia's CSL has completed its first
batch of 2 million shots in 15 microgram doses and is producing
up to 1.5 million doses per week until it fills orders, which
include an order for 21 million doses from the Australian
government and $180 million in orders from the United States.
[ID:nN24143284]
* GREEN CROSS (006280.KS) - Green Cross, the only South Korean
drug company that can mass produce an H1N1 flu vaccine, has
signed a $7.4 million supply deal with the government, which
secured 1.1 million doses of the vaccine for delivery by the
end of November. [ID: nSE067077]
* SINOVAC BIOTECH LTD (SVA.A) - The China-based company is the
first worldwide to complete clinical trials of an H1N1 flu
vaccine. It said the vaccine, which is given in a single dose,
rather than the two doses typical for a vaccine, is ready for
delivery. Sinovac expects to produce 30 million doses.
[ID:nLI544899]
* HUALAN BIOLOGICAL (002007.SZ) - A Chinese panel of experts
has given the green light to the Shanghai-listed company's
vaccine. It is expected to be approved there this
month.[ID:nPEK368343]
(Reporting by Toni Clarke; Editing by Maggie Fox, Gary Hill)


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