TORONTO, Aug. 13 /CNW/ - Microbix Biosystems Inc. (TSX:MBX) is establishing a Special Workgroup for Applied Technology Transfer (SWATT) that will be instrumental in helping manufacturers significantly boost the amount of flu vaccine produced throughout the world.
The SWATT team will be sent to facilities adopting the Microbix proprietary virus yield enhancement technology - VIRUSMAX(TM). The team is expected to be operational this Fall. It will spend several weeks in each location helping customers implement the technology and training local personnel.
At present, only about 350 million doses of flu vaccine are produced annually in the world. There are only three countries that produce enough vaccine domestically to immunize their populations - Canada, France, and Australia. Every other country lacks the manufacturing capacity to meet its own needs. The largest domestic deficits are the U.S., China and India.
population domestically-manufactured
(millions) annual vaccine doses(millions)
Canada 30 35
France 60 80
Australia 25 25
U.S. 305 90
China 1,320 15
India 1,130 0
Microbix' technology has been proven to double vaccine production output. That means that 700 million doses could be produced worldwide if every vaccine manufacturer adopted VIRUSMAX(TM). Microbix conservatively estimates that the world market for VIRUSMAX(TM) could be more than $100 million a year.
It was also announced today that Australia has indicated that it will issue a patent on this technology to Microbix. Similar patent protection has already been allowed in the U.S., Canada and India, and a number of other applications in major markets are currently pending.
VIRUSMAX(TM) works by increasing the virus yield from eggs. Manufacturers use chicken eggs to incubate flu viruses which are then used in the production of vaccines, but much of the virus is attached to debris which is routinely discarded. Microbix has discovered how to retrieve this material and recover the virus, thereby boosting yield.
"Our technology can be installed very quickly, and with limited capital costs, into existing manufacturing processes," said William J. Gastle, CEO of Microbix. "We have the ability to ramp up global vaccine production in a short period of time. That will be especially critical in a pandemic situation."
The World Health Organization, in its Global Vaccine Action Plan, supports the adoption of yield enhancement technology. Among all the strategies outlined, the WHO identified increased production yields as "the most direct mechanism to make more doses available." The WHO estimates that world demand of flu vaccine will increase 20 times the normal requirements if a pandemic occurs.
About Microbix
Established in 1988, Microbix specializes in developing proprietary biological technologies and commercializing them through global partners. The Company currently has three large-market technologies at various stages in the product pipeline - its VIRUSMAX(TM) technology which significantly boosts the yield of influenza virus from eggs; Urokinase, a thrombolytic biologic that can be used as a catheter clearing drug and has potential in new cancer drug combination; and the Semen Sexing Technology(TM).
Disclaimer
This press release contains forward-looking statements, which are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements such as the risks associated with licensing the technology to vaccine manufacturers. These forward-looking statements represent the Company's judgment as of the date of this press release. The Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements.
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