Tampere, Finland – Vactech Oy (Vactech), a biotechnology company focused on development of vaccines for Type 1 Diabetes and other immune mediated diseases, today announced that the European Patent Office has issued EPO Patent 2588134 related to a diagnostic assay for Type 1 Diabetes (T1 D) and predicting the risk of contracting the disease.

Field of the invention

The present invention relates to a diagnostic assay for Type 1 Diabetes (T1D), and especially to an assay for predicting the risk of contracting the disease. It also relates to a method of monitoring the efficacy of antiviral treatments aiming at prevention of T1D. The invention still further relates to a diagnostic kit.

The connection between enteroviruses and Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) has been documented in a multitude of studies. Enteroviruses have been detected in the pancreas, blood and intestinal mucosa of patients with Type 1 Diabetes more frequently than in control subjects and prospective studies have supported their role in the initiation of the beta-cell damaging process associated with Type 1 Diabetes.

The association between enteroviruses and T1D opens up new possibilities for predicting the risk of contracting the disease. Type 1 Diabetes is typically diagnosed based on clinical symptoms when the beta-cell damaged process has already begun and the disease has burst out. However, in order to prevent or reveal the disease process it is desirable to identify subjects at risk of contracting T1D at an early stage, long before the clinical symptoms.

"Vactech's main focus is in the development of a preventive vaccine against Type 1 Diabetes. However, in order to utilize our expertise on immune mediated diseases and enterovirues we will strengthen our patent portfolio with synergetic inventions. This strategy provides us an IPR source for future projects and increases the company value accordingly. The granted EPO patent is an essential key component when building a family of products for preventing, treating and diagnosing Type 1 Diabetes", said Raimo Harju, CEO of Vactech.

About Vactech

Vactech develops and licenses vaccines and novel technologies for vaccines and diagnostics with a pipeline of early stage product candidates focused on Type 1 Diabetes, Celiac Disease, Asthma & Allergy and diagnostics.

Vactech’s flagship project is a patented enterovirus based preventive Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) vaccine, similar to the widely used enterovirus vaccine against polio. The vaccine is a traditional inactivated vaccine and it has been proved to be safe and effective in mice. In addition, Vactech’s IMAVAC™ product line uses Virus Like Particle (VLP) technology which is essential for other vaccines, immunomodulators and diagnostic applications.

Vactech is a privately owned company. We have a track record of collaboration with big pharma on the level of Good Laboratory Practice (GLP). We consider ourselves as an attractive investment target for those that believe in and want to grow with our mission.

For more information contact:

Please see the company's website at www.vactech.fi for additional information or contact:

Raimo Harju, CEO

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