U.S. taps U.K. firm for bio-defense work

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OXFORD, England, Jan. 16 (UPI) -- Pharmacological agents that improve the efficacy of bio-defense vaccines are to be developed by a British company under a contract from the U.S. military.

PsiOxus Therapeutics Ltd. , a development stage bio-technology company, said the contract was issued by the U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency, is worth $3.3 million and is for a period of three years.

The company said it will use its proprietary PolyMAP technology – a immunotherapeutic platform combining polymers and synthetic adjuvants – to help improve the safety and efficacy of two vaccines candidates, the recombinant Protective Antigen for Anthrax and the Venezuelan Equine Encephalopathy Virus.

"We are honored to have received this contract from the DTRA and excited at the prospect of helping to improve the safety and efficacy of these two very important vaccine candidates using the PolyMAP technology," said Dr. John Beadle, chief executive officer of PsiOxus Therapeutics.

"Adjuvant platforms are key to innovating and growing the global vaccine market, and we are confident that our immunotherapeutic platform PolyMAP, along with our oncolytic vaccines expertise and team of renowned scientists, will play a significant and long-term role in the future of the industry."