
HepaLife Targets Avian Flu: New Report Alerts Senior State Officials
and Governors to Pandemic Influenza.
National Governors Association (NGA) report warns: "The
effects of a pandemic flu will be broad, deep, and simultaneous.";
Medical response capabilities will be limited, and potentially
depleted if effective vaccines are not developed in sufficient
quantities.
Boston, MA - July 24, 2006 - HepaLife Technologies Inc. (OTCBB:
HPLF) (FWB: HL1), (WKN: 500625) today announced plans to further
the development of new cell-culture based vaccines to protect against
the spread of influenza viruses, including the highly lethal H5N1
avian flu virus, projected to infect as many as 90 million Americans,
or one-third of the population in severe pandemic conditions, and
considered "one of the most deadly human diseases ever reported," according
to a recently issued National Governors Association (NGA) report.
The report (released on July 18, 2006) urges, "We must consider
the global spread of this virus to be an immediate possibility,"warning
America's Governors and lead state officials that two of the three
essential conditions for a pandemic influenza have already been met.Namely,
the avian flu virus has successfully transferred from animals to
humans, and the virus is lethal to humans.Ominously, the report explains
that the virus is mutating in ways that may increase fulfillment
of the third and final criteria - efficient spread of the virus by
means of coughing, sneezing, handshakes, or contaminated media such
as doorknobs.
"Once adapted, the avian flu will have the potential to become
a pandemic and time will be short," the NGA report states."When
the human-to-human transfer begins, unless it is rapidly controlled
in the locality of the outbreak, it is estimated that with current
levels of international travel it will become a pandemic in a matter
of weeks."
"This report illustrates the immediate need to respond to the
avian flu's pandemic threat," stated Mr. Harmel S. Rayat, President
and CEO of HepaLife."Most importantly, the report attributes
the dramatic depletion of America's medical response resources during
a potential pandemic, and the ongoing spread of avian flu to the
fact that there are no vaccines available for public use and they
may not be available for inoculation prior to the start of such a
pandemic.
"Clearly, there is a need to quickly develop an effective vaccine,
but current vaccine production methods are based on decades old technology
that takes six to nine months to produce only a few doses of vaccine
inside embryonated chicken eggs.Relying on millions of eggs and dealing
with their risks and impurities is remarkably inefficient, especially
in contrast to modern, cell-based vaccine production methods we're
developing at HepaLife," explained Mr. Rayat.
Currently, vaccine production involves injecting a small amount
of a targeted virus into fertilized chicken eggs, where the virus
multiplies. After the virus is harvested from the eggs, chemicals
inactivate and purify the virus, which is then blended into a vaccine
and bottled in vials. This production method takes at least six months.
In the event of a flu pandemic, it is unlikely that current egg-based
vaccines will be produced fast enough to meet expected demand due
to the lengthy production time.Additionally, vaccines go stale quickly,
and small changes in a virus's makeup can render them useless. Transferring
production to a cell-culture based system will avoid many of these
problems and reduce lot to lot variation in vaccine efficacy and
potency.
Protected by five issued patents, including US patent 5,989,805
("Immortal Avian Cell Line To Grow Avian and Animal Viruses
To Produce Vaccines"), HepaLife is developing production methods
to make flu vaccines faster and at less cost by means of a line of
cells that may be able to grow human viruses instead of using the
traditional chicken egg process.
Cell-based virus production would eliminate problems created by
allergies to egg albumin, and allow vaccines to be developed more
quickly in response to various mutations of viruses.The same technology
could also replace expensive influenza diagnostics for avian flu
by reducing the time to detection and cost of analysis, critical
factors in a large scale surveillance program.
About AVIAN FLU
The H5N1 strain of avian flu can be transmitted from birds to humans.
From 2003 to June 6, 2006 the World Health Organization has confirmed
225 human cases, including 128 deaths. There is currently no vaccine
available to protect humans from H5N1.
The Centers for Disease Control states, "There is little pre-existing
natural immunity to H5N1 infection in the human population. If these
H5N1 viruses gain the ability for efficient and sustained transmission
among humans, an influenza pandemic could result, with potentially
high rates of illness and death." In May, the White House issued
a report saying that a disease outbreak could lead to the deaths
of 200,000 to 2 million in the U.S. alone.
About HepaLife Technologies, Inc.
HepaLife Technologies, Inc. (OTCBB: HPLF) (FWB: HL1) (WKN: 500625)
is a development stage biotechnology company focused on the identification,
development and eventual commercialization of cell-based technologies
and products.
Current cell-based technologies under development by HepaLife include
1) the first-of- its-kind artificial liver device, 2) proprietary
in-vitro toxicology and pre-clinical drug testing platforms, and
3) cell-culture based vaccines to protect against the spread of influenza
viruses among humans, including potentially the high pathogenicity
H5N1 virus.
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