InNexus files patent protection for new Age-related Macular Degeneration therapeutic

InNexus Biotechnology Inc. (TSX:IXS.V), a biopharmaceutical company creating and developing innovative solutions for cancer, inflammation and other difficult-to-treat diseases, announced today that it has filed for patent protection covering a novel antibody product for Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) and other eye disorders.

InNexus' new treatment has activity against the angiogenic growth factor VEGF, well implicated in AMD. The Company has already developed and tested the treatment at body temperature and begun longer-term testing for mass production and shelf life, and its manufacturing method is robust yet simple. The product is intended for use as a topical therapy (eye drop) for eye disorders such as AMD and Diabetic Retinopathy.

AMD is a disease that causes significant vision loss in millions of Americans. More than 10 million suffer from various forms of this potentially sight-stealing disease, more than glaucoma and cataracts combined, according to the American Macular Degeneration Foundation. By 2020, as the population ages, that number is expected to double to near epidemic levels.

InNexus' product, designated IXSVEGF, is an antibody fragment, and this small protein has been modified by strategically mutating key residues to give stability at body temperature and by addition of a proprietary sequence to promote unique cellular penetration of the eye.

Tom Kindt, CSO of InNexus, says, "The protein engineering used to develop IXSVEGF has resulted in a product to treat ocular diseases that involve angiogenesis driven by VEGF and is intended to do so without invasive application steps such as direct injection into the eye. We have expressed IXSVEGF in good yield from prokaryotic cell cultures, and it remained properly folded through its isolation and purification. IXSVEGF binds its antigen target with high affinity, and studies indicate its ability to inhibit VEGF-induced proliferation of cells dependent on this factor."

Jeff Morhet, CEO, says, "We are confidant that IXSVEGF will fill a needed role in this large and expanding market and that the simple manufacturing process will result in a cost competitive entry to the field."