PR OUT...Nuvilex Contracts With University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna to Conduct Preclinical Studies on the Use of Cell-in-a Box(R) to Develop Diabetes Treatment
SILVER SPRING, Md., Oct. 20, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nuvilex, Inc. (NVLX), a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing cell and gene therapy solutions for the treatment of diseases, announced today that it has entered into a Collaborative Research Agreement (CRA) with the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna, Austria (University). The CRA calls for the University to perform "in vitro" and animal studies that use the Cell-in-a-Box(R) cellulose-based live cell encapsulation technology to develop a new treatment for insulin-dependent diabetes. Nuvilex has been granted worldwide, royalty-free, rights to use the results of the research conducted by the University for all commercial purposes.
Nuvilex's CEO and President, Kenneth L. Waggoner, said of the agreement, "The signing of the Collaborative Research Agreement with the University represents a significant development for Nuvilex. There are several individuals at the University who are exceedingly familiar with the Cell-in-a-Box(R) technology. Most notably is Prof. Dr. Walter H. Gunzburg, who is a co-developer of the technology and Nuvilex's Chief Scientific Officer. Dr. Gunzburg has also played a major role in the development of our pancreatic cancer treatment that is based on the Cell-in-a-Box(R) technology. We consider our new relationship with the University to be a "major salvo" as we join the battle to find a better treatment option for the many millions of people around the world who suffer from insulin-dependent diabetes. In addition, having the University 'on board' lays the foundation for the establishment of a Diabetes Consortium that we hope will, in the relatively near future, come to include institutions and individuals throughout Europe as well as other countries as we strive to develop a 'bio-artificial' pancreas."
Among the initial studies to be performed by the University will be the testing of an insulin-producing cell line developed by the University of Technology, Sydney, to determine whether that cell line has the potential to form tumors when implanted into animals; i.e. whether those cells are "tumorigenic." If this cell line proves to be non-tumorigenic, then cells from this cell line will be encapsulated using the Cell-in-a-Box(R) technology.
Additional animal studies will be carried out at the University to determine if these encapsulated cells can act as a form of "bio-artificial pancreas" in animal model systems. Dr. Gunzburg and his associates have already worked with these insulin-producing cells in an in vitro setting and have confirmed that they can produce insulin in direct response to the levels of glucose (sugar) to which they are exposed.
Waggoner added, "The establishment of this relationship with the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna marks an important stage in the development of Nuvilex as a multi-dimensional biotech company. In addition to our work in the cancer arena, we are now involved in the development of a novel treatment for diabetes. This is an area of medicine that affects over 380 million individuals worldwide and where improvements in treatment are constantly needed. We believe that the true platform nature of the Cell-in-a-Box(R) encapsulation technology will prove to be a major asset and will ultimately set Nuvilex apart from other competitors in this field."
