MUNICH, December 4, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

Leading worldwide provider of animal health products secures access to LEUKOCARE's proprietary Stabilizing and Protecting Solutions (SPS) technology platform.

Newly agreed license and option agreement provides for the re-formulation of a previously commercialised and successfully marketed vaccine to stabilize viral antigens.

Clinical trials in target species ongoing, product approval and market launch expected for 2016.

Munich, Germany, 04 December 2013

LEUKOCARE, a leading provider of stabilizing and protecting formulation technologies for proteins and other biologics, today announced the signing of a license agreement with a top-tier global provider of animal health products. Subject to the terms of the agreement, LEUKOCARE has granted a license option that will ensure worldwide exclusive access for the specific indication to LEUKOCARE'S proprietary relevant patents and know-how.

Using LEUKOCARE's Stabilizing and Protecting Solutions (SPS), biopharmaceutical products and vaccines can be significantly improved in respect to shelf life and quality by employing novel combinations of excipients. Unlike other formulation approaches, SPS facilitate not only incremental improvement of stability but a quantum leap in the stress resistance of biological molecules.

In the course of the announced collaboration, LEUKOCARE and its partner have optimized for storage stability a previously commercialised and successfully marketed vaccine. Preclinical studies have demonstrated that LEUKOCARE's SPS increase significantly the stability of the viral antigens of the vaccine that currently has to be stored at 4°C. The optimized next product generation is expected to be stable at room temperature.

"LEUKOCARE is proud to have established another license-based collaboration," says Michael Scholl, CEO with LEUKOCARE. "We are encouraged by the enthusiasm of our partner who has positively evaluated LEUKOCARE's technology platform and has significantly improved development efforts on an important product in its portfolio. It is a further essential step to assure our position as a reliable and competent provider of innovative formulation technologies."

Currently, clinical trials in target species are performed by LEUKOCARE's partner for product approval. The development process is expected to be completed in 2-3 years and market launch of the modified product is scheduled for 2016.

About LEUKOCARE

LEUKOCARE is a leading provider of technologies for stabilisation and protection of proteins to extend shelf life and to enable terminal sterilization. With LEUKOCARE technologies, biopharmaceutical products and vaccines can be significantly improved in respect to storage stability and quality. Moreover, a wide variety of surfaces can be functionalised by biologically active substrates, including implant surfaces, wound dressings, stents, catheters and others. LEUKOCARE provides proprietary and patented formulation technologies for stabilization and protection of biologics to partners in the fields of vaccines, biopharmaceuticals and combination devices. Beyond that, LEUKOCARE offers related development services in the course of the technology implementation process.

LEUKOCARE leverages its comprehensive expertise in product-focused industrial partnerships. LEUKOCARE's technologies are currently employed in more than 15 collaborative development projects with industrial partners. LEUKOCARE was founded in 2003 and is headquartered in Martinsried near Munich, Germany.

For further information, please visit: http://www.LEUKOCARE.com.

Contact:
Michael Scholl
CEO
Phone:    +49-(0)89-780-16 65-0
Fax:      +49-(0)89-780-16 65-11
Email:    michael.scholl@leukocare.com

SOURCE LEUKOCARE