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Nventa granted European patent covering heat shock protein fusion to treat influenza

09 Jun 2006 - Nventa Biopharmaceuticals Corporation announced that the European Patent Office has granted Patent Number EP 941,315 to Nventa, covering compositions of fusion proteins comprised of an influenza antigen fused to a heat shock protein (Hsp), as well as DNA encoding such fusion proteins.
 
"Our proprietary CoVal(TM) fusion proteins represent an exciting approach to developing a therapeutic treatment for a broad class of current and emerging strains of the influenza virus," said Gregory M. McKee, President and Chief Executive Officer at Nventa. "We have generated promising preclinical data with our Hsp-influenza fusion protein candidate, which utilizes the highly conserved internal protein, NP, or nucleoprotein, to elicit a targeted cytotoxic T lymphocyte response against several flu strains."
 
While several companies are working on prophylactic vaccines, Nventa is one of the few companies working on a treatment, or therapeutic vaccine, for influenza. Nventa has already generated prototypes of Hsp fusion proteins with influenza antigens. These prototypes have shown activity in preclinical models that suggest their potential utility as a treatment for common and avian flu. In mice, these fusions have been shown to elicit T cell-mediated immune responses that recognize appropriate influenza antigens. This type of immune response has also been shown to produce the cytokine interferon gamma, which is known to have anti-viral activity.