Race to Develop Bioterrorism Vaccine

by Andrea Garcia

Scientists at the Scripps Research Institute are developing a new method of vaccination that could potentially be used to provide instantaneous protection whether the target is a cancer cell, flu virus, or a toxin like anthrax in the event of a bioterrorism attack.

Normally, it takes days or weeks for the body to build immunity against a pathogen. The scientists injected mice with chemicals designed to trigger a universal immune reaction, as well as “adapter molecules” that they had developed to recognize the target cells causing the disease. The adapter molecules cooperate with the antibodies to create “covalent antibody-adapter complexes” within the body of the animal. “The antibodies in our vaccine are designed to circulate inertly until they receive instructions from tailor-made small molecules to become active against a specific target,” says Scripps professor Carlos Barbas III. “The advantage of this method is that it opens up the possibility of having antibodies primed and ready to go in the time it takes to receive an injection or swallow a pill.” This presents an exciting possibility for the field of biodefense, especially.

From The Burrill Report

Also working in the Biodefense space:

US Genomics‘ DNA mapping technology takes low resolution snap-shots of DNA at a speed of hundreds of genomes per second, avoiding technologies that are very slow, expensive and cumbersome, taking months or even years for a single genome to be sequenced.

Emergent BioSolutions (EBS) of Maryland is developing vaccines for infections caused by tuberculosis, typhoid, Chlamydia Trachomatis, and shigella. Their Biothrax product is the only vaccine approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the prevention of anthrax.

The BioCheck Powder Screening Test by 20/20 Gene Systems allows first responders to screen for multiple biological terror agents simultaneously. When a substance is present in visible quantities, such white powder in an envelope, the test can determine in five minutes whether it is deadly ricin or harmless dust.

Genocea Bioscience’s technology can essentially mimic the mammalian immune system in vitro and present it with every possible antigen from a disease-causing agent.

ICx Technologies is creating a chemical and biological mass spectrometer to be used in military reconnaissance vehicles.

XOMA has a premier antibody discovery and development platform that incorporates leading antibody phage display libraries and the company’s proprietary Human Engineering and bacterial cell expression and manufacturing technologies.

Response Biomedical (RPBIF.OB) is commercializing a new class of diagnostic with the world’s only immunoassay platform that provides lab-quality information in a matter of minutes.

Disclosure: No positions

Comments

[User 382085:]

RAMP is almost shut down. Look at their finacials on line. They have have used gimmick product lines like biodefense and West Nile which were hot for about two years and then have continued to lose money year after year. Just go to their website and see their financial reports. These gimmick assays ate up R&D money and OH, G&A, Sales, etc. But, it did bring in private financing because they could sell the hot new future of these things in the news. But, they lost focus of the real clinical applications that are wanted out there in a POC device and blew through this money. Their CFO and Chief of Sales both quit in the last year.

In the biodefense community they used very deceptive marketing all along. If they behaved like this in the world of FDA, they would have been slammed by regulators. They speak of the AOAC trial that was so flawed the US DoD dropped out and is now being repeated because no one trusts AOAC.

I feel badly for any HazMat team or Lab that has the RAMP for BioDefense. They are going to be stuck with a reader that they can’t get cartridges for very soon. Any restructuring or takeover has to shut down that line ASAP. Just check their financial reports on the website. Where is 2008 Q4? Volume is down to nill. Delisting eminent.

FDA and USDA validated and use Tetracore's products in their labs, not RAMP. They did a head to head evaluation. Do your homework.

Mar 24 12:27 PM

[drbob66:]

XOMA is beginning to breakout from a long-term downtrend. It's up 38% in three days on above-average volume. My official buy signal will be a close above $1.03, but I started building a position at $0.41 last week.

Watch this one, folks...

Apr 29 08:10 PM

[drbob66:]

Here we go, folks....XOMA is trading at $1.39 in after-hours today. Good thing I picked up another 500 shares at 56 cents a few weeks ago. I think I'll ring the register on at least part of my position tomorrow.


On Apr 29 08:10 PM drbob66 wrote:

> XOMA is beginning to breakout from a long-term downtrend. It's up
> 38% in three days on above-average volume. My official buy signal
> will be a close above $1.03, but I started building a position at
> $0.41 last week.
>
> Watch this one, folks...

May 14 05:35 PM

[Obi.Wan:]

XOMA is going to win this race.

Oct 29 10:48 AM