February 11, 2004—In response to recent events and queries received from the investing public, DOR BioPharma, Inc. is providing this update on the progress of its ricin vaccine program. Ricin is a plant-derived toxin that because of ease of manufacture and potency, represents an attractive potential bioterrorism weapon for which no vaccine or therapy currently exists.
DOR has licensed the worldwide rights to a recombinant vaccine antigen from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas (UT Southwestern). The vaccine candidate, which is being developed in collaboration with UT Southwestern, is a modified subunit of the native ricin toxin which has been genetically engineered to eliminate both its enzymatic activity and its ability to induce vascular leak syndrome (VLS). Complete elimination of both types of toxicity is likely to render this vaccine safe at effective doses.
To date, UT Southwestern has completed much of the testing required to support the filing of an Investigational New Drug (IND) application. The University plans to file the IND in the first half of 2004 with the intent of entering human clinical testing later this summer. A portion of the work to date has been funded directly through a sponsored research agreement with DOR.
DOR’s President and Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Ralph Ellison, commented on the program: “We are working diligently to develop a safe and effective vaccine to protect against exposure to this deadly poison. Recent events in the news highlight the need for effective countermeasures against bioterror agents such as ricin.”
For more information, contact DOR BioPharma.
