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Hawaii Biotech, Inc. (HBI) is a privately held biotechnology
company focused on the research and development of vaccines
for established and emerging infectious diseases. The company
has developed a proprietary protein production platform that
is applicable to the production of vaccine antigens and other
proteins. Lead vaccine candidates in clinical development
target the West Nile virus and Dengue Fever. Additional subunits
vaccine candidates that are produced from the proprietary
protein production platform are currently under development.
HBI has built a management team with relevant experience at
companies such as GlaxoSmithKline, QED Technologies, and Johnson
& Johnson. Collaborators, past and present, include scientists
from Harvard Medical School; the University of Texas Medical
Branch, Galveston; the University of Hawaii; the Walter Reed
Army Institute of Research; the U.S. Army Medical Research
Institute for Infectious Disease (USAMRIID); the Southwest
Foundation for Biomedical Research; and the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention.
Business
Model
We are committed to the development of the highest quality
products with superior efficacy as demonstrated through the
various stages of clinical trials. We plan to begin to partner
and license our West Nile and dengue vaccine candidates after
immunogenicity data has been obtained from clinical studies.
Licensing at earlier stages is also being considered, especially
for a more complex vaccine, such as the one for dengue fever.
We are also funding the development of our vaccine pipeline
from grants and contracts for public and private sources.
Our strategy should allow us to maintain a stream of revenues
from these sources before FDA approval.
Hawaii Biotech will continue to rely on its internal research
pipeline, supported primarily by grant revenues and supplemented
by a strategic in-licensing program, to produce additional
proprietary clinical development vaccine candidates. HBI has
a strong track record of securing research funds from the
National Institute of Health and the Department of Defense
to support its research programs.
In 2006, HBI acquired rights to an adjuvant, GPI-0100, through
the acquisition of Avantogen, Inc (formerly a wholly-owned
subsidiary of Avantogen, Limited, an Australian public company).
The GPI-0100 adjuvant is useful in helping to elicit broad
immune responses to certain vaccines and therapeutics especially
in the cancer area. HBI has licensed the rights for use of
the adjuvant to companies, (including for use with certain
animal health and cancer vaccines) and will continue to pursue
licensing opportunities for the GPI-0100 adjuvant.
Funding
The Company’s progress has been financed by private
equity funding, as well as over $50 million in federal funding.
As the costs associated with developing vaccines are substantial,
we will continue to seek additional sources of funding by
way of equity financing, debt financing, grants, and other
opportunities.
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