Tech tweak boosts Imugene

A change of promoter has given Imugene's (ASX:IMU) pig and poultry vaccine delivery systems a major boost, the company announced today.

Imugene has developed the adenovirus-based vector delivery systems for use in delivering vaccine antigens or productivity enhancing cytokines in pigs and poultry.

"Our initial in vitro tests with the chicken productivity enhancer have shown that the modification to the vector has resulted in gamma interferon levels up to 50 times higher than the original product," said managing director Dr Warwick Lamb.

"The vector improvement will also have a major impact on our range of vaccines for specific diseases, again in both pigs and poultry. The increase in efficacy of the improved vector should allow Imugene to expand the product range, as better immune responses increase the level of protection for some diseases."

According to commercialisation manager Dr Colin Hort, the increased efficacy may also result in less vector being required per dose, with associated economic benefits.

The company now plans to test the modified vector delivery systems in animals, using both its productivity enhancing cytokines and its vaccine systems, with initial results expected by the end of the year.

Existing patents cover the changes to the vector system, said Hort.