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AIM: FIPP
8 August 2017
Frontier IP Group Plc
("Frontier IP" or the "Group")
New Portfolio Company - The Vaccine Group
Frontier IP, which specialises in the commercialisation of intellectual property, is pleased to announce that it has received a 21% equity stake in The Vaccine Group Limited ("The Vaccine Group "), a spinout company from the University of Plymouth.
Governments, pharmaceutical companies and supranational bodies are showing increasing concern about emerging infectious diseases. The Vaccine Group will exploit technology developed by Dr Michael Jarvis, Associate Professor in Virology and Immunology at the University of Plymouth, who specialises in the creative design of herpesvirus-based vaccines for the control of disease.
The Vaccine Group aims to commercialise novel vaccine platforms for the development of vaccines for use in infection control (such as bovine tuberculosis) and for a rapid response to pathogens which unpredictably cross the species barrier and pose a significant threat to human health. Target pathogens include avian influenza A, Ebola and Marburg viruses, MERS and SARS coronaviruses and Rift Valley fever virus.
Dr Jarvis' work has previously received funding from a number of sources, including UK Innovate, National Institutes of Health and the Medical Research Council. Initial work in The Vaccine Group will focus on herpesvirus-based platforms suitable for use in animals, to protect human health by targeting the animal species from which disease is transmitted to humans, for vaccination (termed zoonoses barrier vaccines). Future developments will include vaccines for use in humans.
Frontier IP's role will be to provide commercialisation services, industry expertise and strong links to the pharmaceutical industry. Paul Mantle, a Portfolio Executive at Frontier IP, is a director of The Vaccine Group and brings wide industrial experience of commercialising new technology.
Neil Crabb, Chief Executive of Frontier IP, said: "We are delighted to support development of The Vaccine Group. Emerging Infectious Diseases are a growing threat to economies and to the global population. A rapid response vaccine platform will be a valuable addition to current management strategies and a critical resource when new diseases emerge."
Dr Michael Jarvis, Chief Scientific Officer of The Vaccine Group, said: "My laboratory has nearly 20 years' experience in the development of vaccines based on herpesvirus-based technology. Science is a collaborative endeavour, and The Vaccine Group provides a new vehicle by which we can interact with fellow scientists, industry and investors to prevent emergence of infectious diseases relevant to global human health and agriculture."
ENDS
For further information:
Frontier IP Group Plc |
T: 0131 240 1251 |
Neil Crabb, Chief Executive Company website: www.frontierip.co.uk |
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Cenkos Securities plc (Nominated Adviser and Joint Broker) |
T: 0131 220 6939 |
Neil McDonald / Beth McKiernan |
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Peterhouse Corporate Finance Limited (Joint Broker) |
T: 020 7469 0935 |
Lucy Williams |
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Kreab (Financial PR) |
T: 020 7074 1800 |
Robert Speed / Matthew Jervois |
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University of Plymouth Andrew Gould |
T: 01884 38346 |
Notes to Editor:
About Frontier IP Group plc
www.frontierip.co.uk.
Frontier IP specialises in assisting institutions and companies in the commercialisation and exploitation of their intellectual property. It establishes formal and informal relationships with sources of exploitable IP, principally universities. Its core business is building and growing a portfolio of equity stakes in spin-out companies by taking an active involvement in the commercialisation and funding of these businesses.
About Dr Michael A Jarvis
www.thejarvislab.com
Dr Jarvis's main scientific interest is in the creative design of herpesvirus-based vaccines for the control of disease. A main area of work is the control of infectious pathogens at the animal:human interface - with a particular focus on decreasing zoonotic (animal to human) microbe transmission with the use of Zoonoses Blocking Vaccines. The Jarvis Laboratory has multiple collaborative projects funded by UK Innovate and the MRC as well as agricultural interest organizations investigating aspects of basic and applied herpesvirus-based vaccine technology.
