Inovio Biomedical Corporation is a late stage biomedical company focused on building an oncology franchise based on its proprietary electroporation therapy. The therapy targets a significant unmet clinical need:the selective killing of cancer cells and local ablation of solid tumors while preserving healthy tissue. The company is moving its lead product, the MedPulser Electroporation Therapy System, through pre-marketing studies for head and neck cancer and skin cancer in Europe, where it has CE Mark accreditation, and a U.S. Phase III pivotal study for recurrent head and neck cancer. Merck, Vical, Chiron, the U.S. Navy, and other partners are employing Inovio's electroporation technology, which enhances local delivery and cellular uptake of useful biopharmaceuticals, in their development of novel DNA vaccines and gene therapies. Inovio is a leader in electroporation, with 57 US and 125 corresponding foreign patents, plus numerous pending patents in the US and abroad. Inovio Biomedical Corporation ("Inovio") was founded in 1983 based on the concept of electroporation and its potential use in delivering genes and molecules into cells. Electroporation involves the use of brief, pulsed electric fields to temporarily permeabilize cell membranes, allowing the entry of various types of molecules such as nucleic acids and proteins into the cell. In the early 1990's, Inovio made a strategic decision to further develop the concept of electroporation into potential human therapeutic applications (Electroporation Therapy or "SECTA") and has made significant advancements in this area. For years, cancer researchers have been trying to find a way to target chemotherapeutic agents more precisely - to deliver the agents only to that part of the body affected by cancer. SECTA does this by making the cancer cells more permeable; making it easier for the chemotherapeutic agents to penetrate the cell membrane and enter the cell. This could make it possible to deliver reduced dosages of chemotherapy more effectively, thus increasing cytoxicity while reducing or even eliminating side effects. In Oncology, Inovio has treated several solid tumor types in human studies and has initiated Phase III clinical trials for the treatment of recurrent head and neck cancer. In gene delivery, Inovio has completed a number of studies and models relating to the efficacy of electroporation in the delivery of genes at therapeutic levels and has over 40 scientific references from gene therapy publications. Inovio has several collaborations with major biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies for the delivery of genes using electroporation, which may act as a therapeutic or a preventative vaccine, and without the assistance of problematic viral delivery systems. As a result, Inovio is the recognized leader in electroporation for gene delivery.
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