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"MedImmune is pleased to enter into a fourth agreement to license ourreverse genetics technology to manufacturers," said Jonathan Klein-Evans,J.D., MedImmune's vice president, intellectual property. "Making thisimportant technology available to the vaccine development team atGlaxoSmithKline and their peers at other companies may have a significantpositive impact on the manufacturing of influenza vaccines due to theefficiency and reliability of the process."
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MedImmune will receive an upfront payment and has the potential to receiveroyalties on certain vaccine stockpiles or sales of other influenza productsdeveloped using the reverse genetics technology.
Most influenza vaccine manufacturing companies and governmental agenciesare now using reverse genetics technology in their development of pandemicvaccine candidates because it allows them to avoid working directly with theinfectious, circulating pandemic strains. As the owner or exclusive licenseeof key patent estates for use of the reverse genetics technology in humaninfluenza vaccines, MedImmune remains committed to making sure that thetechnology is accessible to government institutions and industrymanufacturers. As such, the company has offered other influenza vaccinemanufacturers non-exclusive licenses to this intellectual property estate foruse in manufacturing seasonal or pandemic vaccines.
Since December of 2006, MedImmune has licensed its reverse geneticstechnology to CSL Limited of Australia, sanofi pasteur and Novartis.
About MedImmune
MedImmune strives to provide better medicines to patients, new medicaloptions for physicians and rewarding careers to employees. Dedicated toadvancing science and medicine to help people live better lives, the companyis focused on the areas of infectious diseases, cancer and inflammatorydiseases. With approximately 3,000 employees worldwide and headquarters inMaryland, MedImmune is wholly owned by AstraZeneca plc (LSE: AZN.L)(NYSE: AZN). For more information, visit MedImmune's website athttp://www.medimmune.com.
SOURCE MedImmune, Inc.
