- By Patricia Doyle <labgal_5@yahoo.com>
-
- Hello Jeff,
-
- More info on Oravax company can be found regarding the
NIH grant and also past press releases on http://www.oravax.com/
-
- The US Government and Oravax company would have us believe
that the 3 million dollar grant that Oravax received from the US NIH (National
Institute of Health) was to develop West Nile vaccine after the fact of
the 1999 outbreak in New York.
-
- The way that the Oravax press release was worded regarding
the grant, would give us the idea that developing west nile vaccine is
post 1999 outbreak. Let us examine the real truth of when the vaccine
for West Nile was actually discussed.
-
- I have attached a document from the gulflink military
declassified files that proved the US government had called for an immediate
development of West Nile vaccine back in December 1990. Also in 1990,
we have the "birth" of a new pharmaceutical company, Oravax Company
of Cambridge, Mass. Its lead scientist and VP is Thomas Monath. Col.
Dr.Thomas Monath is a veteran of Ft. Detrick's USAMRIID biowar research
program and his expertise is arbroviruses, specifically flaviruses. Col.
Dr. Thomas Monath, together with coresearcher from Ft. Dertrick, Dr. Jerry
Hauer (formerly of the New York City Dept. of Emergency Management) have
both been vocal about biowar preparedness and both were part of a special
committee that advised President Clinton on biowar preparedness and suggested
stockpiling vaccines. Dr. Monath worked very closely with Dr. Hauer from
the "beginning" of the 1999 West Nile outbreak in New York.
-
- In 1996, Oravax was granted an exclusive license for
the US Ft. Detrick's patented genetically engineered Japanese Encephalitis
Virus. Oravax had intended at that time, 1996, to use a "chimerivax
process" using Yellow Fever vaccine to develop a vaccine for Japanese
Encephalitis, Dengue Fever, and the other flaviviruses like West Nile,
Kunjin and St. Louis Encephalitis. In 1998, Oravax was delt a setback and
almost financially ruined when a children's vaccine for rotovirus did not
work. Their stock plummited from $75.00 down to 25 cents a share. The
company was almost delisted from Nasdaq.
-
- Peptide Theraputic, became the parent company of Oravax
in an acquisition that year (1998). Oravax needed a vaccine that would
work and a large market to sell it to. Its hope was on the chimerivax JE
that would work on other flavivirus encephalitis as well.
-
- We are now up to 1999. New York was faced with a challenge.
West Nile, a brand new strain, never before seen in the US, began killing
birds, infecting mosquitos and eventually killed 7 people and sickened
62. The initial epidemic appeared to be centered in two locations, the
Bronx Zoo, and a section of Queens. Midway between these two locations
on Shore Road in the Bronx is a aviary sanctuary and wildlife preserve.
-
- Of course the thought of "someone" releasing
birds infected with West NileLIKE is, still, at this point conjecture and
theory. Could infected birds have been released from the bird aviary in
the bronx, and Plum Island's wildlife preserve on Long Island? There is
still much more research and work to do to prove those statements. As I
uncover documents, I shall present them here.
-
- Attached to this article are source articles and website
URLs. At this point in time, you must be the judge.
-
- Here is a reference from the USGS that tags the New York
west nile as a new more virulent strain. http://www.usgs.gov/public/press/public_affairs/press_releases/pr1128m.html
-
- Thank you, Patricia Doyle
-
- please visit my website and message board. http://disc.server.com/Indices/93896.html
http://goddess-of-fire.tripod.com/index-1.html
-
-
-
- Hello Jeff
-
- Here are the background articles and some URLs to go
with my article.
-
- Patty
-
-
- [from Federal Register: March 22, 1996 (Volume 61, Number
57, Page 11812]
-
- DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
-
- Notice of Intent To Grant an Exclusive License of a U.S.
Government-Owned Patent
-
- agency: U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command,
DOD.
-
- action: Notice.
-
- summary: In accordance with 37 CFR 404.7 (a)(I)(i), announcement
is made of the intent to grant an exclusive, royalty-bearing, revocable
license of U.S. Patent Application Serial Number 08/348,882, filed November
28, 1994 and entitled "Infectious cDNA Clones of Japanese Encephalitis
Virus and Attenuated Strains Japanese Encephalitis Virus Made from the
Clones'', to OraVax, Inc., 230 Albany Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts
02139. Rights to this invention are owned by the United States Government
as represented by the Secretary of the Army. Anyone wishing to object to
the grant of this license has 60 days from the date of this notice to file
written objections along with supporting evidence, if any. Written objections
are to be filed with the Command Judge Advocate, U.S. Army Medical Research
and Materiel Command, Fort Detrick, Frederick, Maryland 21702-5012.
-
- addresses: Commander, U.S. Army Medical Research and
Materiel Command, ATTN: Command Judge Advocate, Fort Detrick, Frederick,
Maryland 21702-5012.
-
- for further information contact: Mr. John F. Moran, Patent
Attorney, (301) 619-2065 or telefax (301) 619-7714. Gregory D. Showalter,
Army Federal Register Liaison Officer. [FR Doc. 96-6928 filed 3-21-96;
8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3710-01-M
-
- [SOURCE: http://www.bioinfo.com/jev.html ]
-
- * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * PEPTIDE THERAPEUTICS:
-
- "We are exploring the ChimeriVax technology to develop
a vaccine against West Nile Encephalitis, the viral disease that caused
epidemic encephalitis and deaths in New York City in 1999."
-
- "Peptide is developing a vaccine, in collaboration
with Aventis Pasteur, for the prevention of Japanese encephalitis viral
infections using its ChimeriVaxô technology. JE is a potentially
fatal neurotropic viral infection common in Asia, including Japan, Korea,
Taiwan, China, India and Thailand. The World Health Organisation has identified
the development of safer and less expensive vaccines against JE as a high
priority, which should ensure its use in endemic regions. In addition,
a safer vaccine that requires only a single dose for immunisation would
better meet the needs of travellers and the military. Safety and preclinical
efficacy of the JE vaccine has been demonstrated in pre-clinical studies."
-
- [DELETED TEXT NO LONGER ON THIS WEBPAGE: "A Phase
I trial is scheduled to commence by the end of 1999. PMC has been granted
a worldwide licence to the ChimeriVax(tm) technology for the development
of vaccines against JE (and tick borne encephalitis), in return for PMC
funding all future research and development costs and agreeing to pay OraVax
milestone payments and royalties on sales of licensed product."]
-
- [SOURCE: http://www.peptide.co.uk ]
-
-
- * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * THOMAS MONATH BIO:
-
- Thomas P. C. Monath is one of the world's leading arbovirologists.
He is currently Vice- President of Research and Medical Affairs at OraVax,
Inc. in Cambridge, Massachusetts. In this position he is responsible for
the scientific direction of programs on vaccine development against Helicobacter
pylori, Clostridium difficle, eneterotoxogenic E. coli, Shigella and IgA
monoclonal antibodies. Prior to this he was the Chief of the Virology Division,
U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases at Fort Detrick
in Maryland. In this position he was responsible for the development of
genetically engineered vaccines against arthropod- borne and hemorrhagic
fever viruses. Between 1974 and 1988 he was the Medical Director of the
Division of Vector- Borne Infectious Diseases at the Centers for Disease
Control in Fort Collins, Colorado.
-
- Dr, Monath is a graduate of Harvard Medical School and
trained in internal medicine at the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital in Boston,
Massachusetts. He has authored over 150 medical articles in peer- reviewed
medical journals. He serves on the editorial boards of several eminent
medical organizations.
-
- [SOURCE: http://info.med.yale.edu/EIINet/MonathSeminar.html
]
-
- Date: Tue, 1 Aug 2000 11:23:50 EDT Subject: Peptide Awarded
Grant by NIH to Develop West Nile Vaccine To: undisclosed-recipients:;
-
-
- Peptide Awarded Grant by NIH to Develop West Nile Vaccine
-
- CAMBRIDGE, England, Aug. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Peptide Therapeutics
Group plc (LSE: PTE.L) ("Peptide") announces that it has been
awarded a Fast-Track Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) grant by
the US National Institutes of Health ("NIH") to develop an important
new vaccine to prevent West Nile virus disease ("West Nile").
-
- West Nile is a mosquito-borne viral disease that can
be fatal. The disease first occurred in the US in the summer of 1999, when
an outbreak occurred in New York in which 62 people were hospitalised with
encephalitis and seven people died. Based on antibody surveys, approximately
2.5% of New York metropolitan residents were infected, making it likely
that many had developed milder illnesses. Countless wild birds and a number
of horses also succumbed to the disease. Other US states affected were
New Jersey, Connecticut and Maryland. Several preventative measures were
taken last year, including the spraying of New York City with pesticide
in an attempt to kill the infected mosquitoes.
-
- Fears are growing that another outbreak could occur this
year. Infected birds and mosquitoes have been detected over a wide area
from New Jersey to Massachusetts. Public health warnings have been issued
to residents of the affected States, and intensive mosquito control is
underway in many areas. There is no vaccine, cure or specific therapy against
West Nile virus disease. The US government is actively pursuing a campaign
to combat the disease, including funding the development of vaccines for
preventative use.
-
- The grant has been awarded through Peptide's US subsidiary,
OraVax Inc. Funding under the NIH SBIR grant is provided in two consecutive
Phases, and the Fast-track mechanism ensures no delay between Phases. The
Phase 1 award, covering the first 8 months of work is for $263K. Following
successful completion of Phase 1, Phase 2 of the grant will be funded at
a level of $2.7M for up to two years. The Fast-Track grant is expected
to cover the costs of research and development, including initial human
clinical trials.
-
- The West Nile vaccine will be developed using Peptide's
proprietary ChimeriVax(TM) technology. It will be a live, attenuated vaccine
and involves the construction of a chimeric virus in which the envelope
genes of yellow fever vaccine are replaced with the corresponding genes
of the target West Nile virus. This approach has already been employed
by Peptide to develop vaccines against dengue fever (in pre-clinical development)
and Japanese encephalitis (due to commence Phase I trials shortly).
-
- Dr. Thomas Monath, Vice President Research & Medical
Affairs of Peptide, said: "The advantages of ChimeriVax(TM) vaccines
include their high safety profile, ability to induce protection within
a few days after a single dose, and long-lasting immunity without the need
for booster doses. A ChimeriVax(TM) West Nile vaccine is therefore ideally
suited for use in an impending epidemic, where rapid immunization is required."
-
- Dr. John Brown, Chief Executive of Peptide, said: "We
are delighted to have been selected by the US government to receive funding
to continue to develop our West Nile vaccine. The West Nile virus is one
of the most frightening to have emerged in recent years and there is no
vaccine available to protect against the disease. We are confident that
ChimeriVax(TM) can provide the technology to develop a vaccine that will
provide a rapid and effective solution."
-
- NOTES
-
- Peptide
-
- Peptide is a biopharmaceutical company developing vaccines
to prevent and treat infectious diseases. It is based in Cambridge, UK
and, through its subsidiary OraVax Inc., has operations in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
It has a broad portfolio of vaccine product candidates undergoing clinical
trials and several technology platforms that provide the basis for further
vaccine product candidates. For further information visit our web site
at www.peptide.co.uk .
-
- ChimeriVax(TM)
-
- The ChimeriVax(TM) technology platform is a method for
development of new vaccines against viruses in the family Flaviviridae.
The technology utilizes a molecular clone of yellow fever 17D, one of the
safest and most effective vaccines ever developed, as the foundation for
construction of new live, attenuated vaccines against related Flaviviruses.
To generate a new vaccine, the genes for the viral envelope of yellow fever
17D virus are replaced with the corresponding genes of the target virus,
for example West Nile, creating a yellow fever-West Nile hybrid or 'chimera'.
The new virus contains West Nile envelope proteins required for stimulating
immunity but retains the replicative machinery of yellow fever 17D vaccine
virus.
-
- The ChimeriVax(TM) technology is being developed in several
product programmes including vaccines against dengue fever, Japanese encephalitis,
tick-borne encephalitis and hepatitis C. Peptide's most advanced programme
using this technology is to develop a vaccine against Japanese encephalitis,
the leading cause of viral infection of the central nervous system in Asia.
Phase I trials are scheduled to commence shortly.
-
- West Nile
-
- West Nile encephalitis is a mosquito-borne disease that
can cause inflammation of the spinal cord and brain and can be fatal. The
virus that causes West Nile encephalitis occurs in Europe, Africa and Asia
and was first identified in the United States in the summer of 1999. The
virus grows in birds and is transmitted by mosquitoes from birds to humans
and other mammals such as horses and cows.
-
- There is no vaccine, cure or specific therapy for West
Nile encephalitis. Whilst some of the symptoms of the disease can be treated,
approximately 7% of people who are hospitalised from the infection die
from it.
-
- SOURCE Peptide Therapeutics Group plc CO: Peptide Therapeutics
Group plc; US National Institutes of Health ST: England IN: MTC SU: 08/01/2000
11:22 EDT http://www.prnewswire.com
-
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