iBio to Receive US Patent for Influenza Therapeutic

NEW YORK, NY -- (Marketwired) -- 08/11/15 -- iBio, Inc. (NYSE MKT: IBIO), a leader in plant-based biotechnology for developing and manufacturing biopharmaceutical products, received notice that its application for a U.S. patent for a monoclonal antibody targeting influenza is scheduled to result in issuance of a new patent on August 26.

The patent, US 9,155,201 entitled "Human Neuraminidase Antibody and Methods of Use Thereof," includes claims for a method for treating influenza infection using a monoclonal antibody against the influenza neuraminidase protein. Neuraminidase is an influenza protein that is essential for viral replication and release from cells. Antibodies based on this invention are potential therapeutic agents against highly pathogenic H5N1 influenza, including strains resistant to drugs such as oseltamivir (marketed as Tamiflu®), and have blocked the replication of multiple influenza strains, including drug-resistant isolates. These and other anti-influenza antibodies have been produced using iBio's proprietary iBioLaunch™ technology, and have demonstrated safety and therapeutic efficacy in highly predictive animal models infected with a variety of influenza types.

"The antibody covered by this patent is designed to block critical functions of the influenza virus necessary for virus replication," said Wayne P. Fitzmaurice, Ph.D., iBio's vice president of intellectual property. "Current public health strategies for influenza include annual preventative vaccination and in some cases, the use of small molecule drugs for treatment of infected individuals. However, because preventive vaccination reaches only a part of the population, vaccines vary in effectiveness to prevent disease, and drug-resistant influenza strains pose increased risk, there is a global need for new, more effective therapeutic biologics that block the replication of influenza virus directly in those who become infected."

According to BCC Research, the global influenza market will grow to nearly $6 billion in 2018. Because influenza continues to be a significant public health threat, efforts continue by government agencies and disease prevention organizations to support and fund research and development programs, and pandemic prevention.

"This patent is an important addition to our portfolio of intellectual property covering infectious disease product applications of our core pharmaceutical technology, the iBioLaunch platform," stated Robert Erwin, iBio's president. "In addition to using our technology to advance our proprietary product candidates for treatment of chronic fibrotic diseases to clinical trials, our iBioLaunch platform is being applied to antibodies and antibody fusion proteins to target pathogens such as influenza, Ebola virus, anthrax, and others for which it provides technical and economic advantages for product optimization and commercial manufacturing."

iBioLaunch gene expression technology has previously been used for the development and successful Phase 1 clinical evaluation of vaccine candidates targeting H1N1 influenza and avian H5N1 influenza. Additional infectious disease applications of the technology are in development including a transmission blocking vaccine for malaria in a Phase 1 clinical trial and a National Institutes of Health sponsored clinical program for a vaccine against anthrax.

About iBio, Inc.

iBio is developing proprietary products for the treatment of a range of fibrotic diseases including idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, systemic sclerosis, and scleroderma. IBIO-CFB03, produced using the company's iBioLaunch™ gene expression platform, is the first product candidate from this program being advanced for IND development. The company also offers proprietary products and product licenses to others, based on its proprietary iBioLaunch gene expression and iBioModulator™ thermostable immunomodulator protein platforms, providing collaborators full support for turn-key implementation of its technology for protein therapeutics and vaccines. In Brazil, iBio has formed a subsidiary company, iBio do Brasil Biofarmaceutical Ltda., and has been collaborating with the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz) to develop a recombinant yellow fever vaccine based on iBio technology. The iBioLaunch gene expression platform is a proprietary, transformative technology for development and production of biologics using transient gene expression in unmodified green plants. The iBioModulator platform is designed to significantly improve vaccine products with both higher potency and greater duration of effect. Further information is available at: www.ibioinc.com.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

STATEMENTS INCLUDED IN THIS NEWS RELEASE RELATED TO IBIO, INC. MAY CONSTITUTE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS WITHIN THE MEANING OF THE PRIVATE SECURITIES LITIGATION REFORM ACT OF 1995. SUCH STATEMENTS INVOLVE A NUMBER OF RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES SUCH AS COMPETITIVE FACTORS, TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT, MARKET DEMAND, AND THE COMPANY'S ABILITY TO OBTAIN NEW CONTRACTS AND ACCURATELY ESTIMATE NET REVENUES DUE TO VARIABILITY IN SIZE, SCOPE AND DURATION OF PROJECTS. FURTHER INFORMATION ON POTENTIAL RISK FACTORS THAT COULD AFFECT THE COMPANY'S FINANCIAL RESULTS CAN BE FOUND IN THE COMPANY'S REPORTS FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION.

Source: iBio, Inc.