Message #1 From:
NewsBot Date: July 19, 2006 08:10:00 AM
CYDY News CytoDyn Joins Fight Against Bird Flu: U.S. Senator Pete Domenici (R-NM) Calls Effort Promising for State's Economy
SANTA FE, N.M.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 19, 2006--CytoDyn, Inc. (OTCBB:CYDY) has licensed an extensive portfolio of patents and entered into certain sponsored research agreements to add DNA plasmids to its product-development pipeline. Over the past decade, DNA plasmids have been intensively studied by academic institutions and have been characterized in the literature as a potential breakthrough in fighting influenza (the flu).
CytoDyn, which is headquartered in New Mexico, plans to eventually manufacture its entire drug pipeline in that State and has been in discussions with Kirtland Technology Park in Albuquerque, NM as a preferred site.
"This has the potential to be very promising for New Mexico's economy and our national quest to improve global preparedness against a pandemic," according to Senator Pete Domenici (R-NM). "New Mexico is one of the best places in the world for biotechnology R&D, and I believe it will be an environment conducive for the success of CytoDyn. I am pleased the firm intends to manufacture its product at Kirtland Technology Park, which will add to the economic diversity our State needs," added Domenici who serves on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
"Because the flu virus keeps changing as it jumps back and forth between birds and mammals, new vaccines must continually be created," according to CytoDyn's CEO Allen D. Allen. Given the limited infrastructure for manufacturing vaccines, and the possibility of problems occurring at various points along the complex delivery stream, shortages of vaccines remain a persistent possibility. For the same reason, it is difficult to stockpile a sufficient supply of vaccine for potential public-health emergencies.
Results from clinical studies suggest that the H5N1 "bird flu" vaccine produced for the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases could require a dose that is an order of magnitude higher.
"CytoDyn hopes to maintain adequate supplies of influenza vaccines by developing a polyvalent line of DNA-based primers that could make the vaccines more potent, thereby requiring a smaller dose in each flu shot and extending the reach of the available supply," Allen explained. For more detailed information and tutorials on vaccines and the flu, please visit our web site at www.cytodyn.com where you will also find helpful links to other public and private sources of information.
Disclaimers
DNA plasmids are still in pre-clinical development, and there is no guarantee that a safe and effective product can be developed. Even if such a product were successfully developed, mutations of the virus or other factors could render the product of little or no economic value.
Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts. The Company's management makes forward looking statements concerning the Company's expected future operations, performance and other developments. These forward-looking statements are necessarily estimates based upon current information and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such risks and uncertainties, or other factors, will not affect the accuracy of such forward-looking statements. It is impossible to identify all factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those estimated by the Company. They include, but are not limited to, government regulation, managing and maintaining growth, victimization by white-collar offenders, and the effects of adverse publicity, litigation, competition, and other factors that may be identified from time to time in the Company's announcements.
