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Archived Press Releases
June 28, 1999
Erasmus University Rotterdam and Onyvax Announce
Collaboration in Prostate Cancer Research
Monday, 28 June 1999. Onyvax Limited (London, UK) and the Experimental
Urology Research Group of the Erasmus University Rotterdam (NL),
have entered into a research collaboration for the study of prostate
cancer. The Experimental Urology group will contribute material
from its proprietary xenograft technology, prostate tissue and cell
banks. Onyvax will apply its proven expertise in cell culture and
immortalization techniques to generate novel cell-lines that will
be used by the Experimental Urology group in its research. Onyvax
has exclusive world-wide rights to use the cell-lines in its cancer
vaccine programs.
Onyvax is an early stage biotechnology company focused on the research
and development of vaccines and other therapies which direct the
immune system to attack cancer cells. Dr. Andrew Sutton, Head of
R&D for Onyvax said "this is an exciting opportunity to
collaborate with one of the leading prostate research groups in
Europe. It gives Onyvax access to human tissues derived from multiple
disease stages and sites. It's a symbiotic programme, providing
reagents invaluable to the research of both groups". Dr. Wytske
M. van Weerden, senior researcher at the Experimental Urology Research
Group said "the establishment of immortalized in vitro cell-lines
from our in vivo xenograft models has proven to be very difficult.
The collaboration with Onyvax as experts in this field will provide
us with cell-lines which will greatly extend the use of our model
systems for fundamental and preclinical research".
Background on the Experimental Urology
Research Group
The Experimental Urology Research Group is part of the Department
of Urology of the University Hospital Rotterdam (UHR) and the Erasmus
University Rotterdam (EUR) headed by Prof. Dr. Fritz H. Schröder.
Recently, the group has joined with several oncology research groups
of the UHR/EUR and the Daniel Den Hoed Cancer Center Rotterdam to
form the Josephine Nefkens Institute (JNI). The JNI brings under
one roof various research groups working on the general theme of
molecular pathology of cancer. The Experimental Urology Research
Group has focused this basic research on prostate cancer with a
special interest in new experimental model development.
Background on Onyvax
Onyvax is an early stage biotechnology company based at St. George's
Hospital Medical School (SGHMS) in London. Building on the research
of its Research Director, Angus Dalgleish, Professor of Clinical
Oncology at SGHMS, Onyvax is developing a range of anti-cancer vaccines,
the first of which, for advanced prostate cancer, entered the clinic
in December 1998. Onyvax was established in 1997 and is backed by
venture capital from 3i, Alta Berkeley, S.R. One and the PS Wallenberg
Trust.
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