P(]fenf Report

This section provides information on worldwide patents relevant to vaccine design and production. The Patent Report gives the following information : title of patent, patentee, patent number, publication date and summary of the patent. A number of patents in this report are reproduced from 'Biotechnology Abstracts" with permission of Derwent Publications Ltd, Rochdale House, 128 Theobalds Road, London WC1X 8RP, Telephone 071 242 5823; Fax 071 405 3630.

Recombinant virus vector encoding human papilloma virus protein; vaccinia virus vector with inverted sequences for homologous recombination; application in cervix carcinoma recombinant vaccine or immunotherapy agent construction Immunology World 9216 636; 1 October 1992

A new virus vector for use as in immunotherapy or as a recombinant vaccine (e.g. against cervix carcinoma) contains at least one pair of heterologous DNA sequences with sufficient homology for recombination, inverted with respect to each other. The vector can infect a mammal host cell and express the heterologous sequence as a protein. The vector is constructed by inserting the heterologous sequences into at least one neutral site in the vector (between open reading frames (ORFs) encoding functional genes, or in a non-functional gene). The heterologous sequences preferably encode all or part of human papilloma virus (HPV) wild-type proteins (e.g. HPV-16 or HPV-18 E6 or E7 protein) or mutant proteins which cross-react immunologically with these. Two or more sequences of homologous pairs may be fused together to form a single ORF, preferably via a single codon encoding a small neutral amino acid, e.g. Gly. Transcription may be outward or inward. The vector may be derived from vaccinia virus WR, and the neutral site may be between SalIFI 7R and SalIF19R, SalIFI9R and SalIF20.5R, or at a region in SalIG2R or HindB3.5R.

033-93

Method for feline leukaemia virus vaccination; cat ieukaemia virus recombinant vaccine production by attenuation in the left long terminal repeat enhancer Chiron USA 5152 982; 6 October 1992

A method for protection of a cat from cat leukaemia virus (CLV) infection involves administration of a vaccine containing at least one protein cross-reactive with an epitope of an envelope protein of at least one serotype of CLV, and administration of CLV (provirus DNA or virus RNA) attenuated by debilitation of the transcription regulatory system. The attenuation is preferably an uncomplemented mutation of at least five bases in the enhancer region of the virus left long terminal repeat (LTR). The epitope and leukaemia virus may be of the same or a different serotype (e.g. both serotype A). Although the attenuated virus may still replicate, it is much more susceptible to control by the host immune system. By modifying the enhancer region in the LTR, and modification of the other LTR to prevent complementarity (i.e. reversion to wild-type activity by recombination), infectivity may be retained, and an immune response is achieved by infecting hosts with either the modified virus DNA or a modified virus derived from it. 034-93

0264-410X/93/05/0598~2 ;c: 1993 Butterworth-Heinemann Ltd

598 Vaccine, Vol. 11, Issue 5, 1993

Protecting bovine host from bovine herpes virus type-I infection; cattle herpes virus-1 gl, gllI and/or glV epitope expression in mammal cell culture, using a vaccinia virus, SV40 virus or Rous-sarcoma virus vector for recombinant vaccine production Univ. Saskatchewan USA 5151 267; 29 September 1992

A new method for protecting a cattle host from bovine herpes virus-1 (BHV-I) infection comprises: producing a vaccine composition consisting of a vehicle and at least one (preferably at least two) recombinant polypeptide, which is a polypeptide neutralizing epitope of a BHV-I glycoprotein, preferably g|, gIlI or gIV; and administering the vaccine to cattle, so that neutralizing anti-BHV-1 antibodies are elicited, The neutralizing epitopes may be located on different polypeptides. The recombinant polypeptide may be produced in a mammal cell culture transformed with a vaccinia virus, SV40 virus or Rous-sarcoma virus vector. The subunit antigen may or may not be glycosylated. The recombinant BHV-1 polypeptides give full protection of immunized animals from disease. They elicit antibodies that neutralize virus infectivity, and induce complement-meditated cell lysis. The recombinant vaccines are more protective than killed virus and attenuated live virus vaccines. 035-93

New attenuated strain of type 1, 2 or 3 poliovirus; attenuation by introduction of Val-54 and Ala-ll4 in VP1 and Met-215 in VP2 capsid protein by site-directed mutagenesis for recombinant vaccine production Brit. Technol Eur 508 783; 14 October 1992

A poliovirus type-3, containing Val at position 54 and Ala at position 114 of the VP1 capsid protein, or type-1 or type-2 with equivalent amino acid residues at corresponding positions, is new. The poliovirus may also have (for type-3) Met at position 215 in the VP2 capsid protein or (for type-I or type-2) an equivalent residues at the corresponding position. The 5' non-coding region of the genome may be from poliovirus type-3 Leon strain or another strain, modified by addition of U and A at positions 472 and 537, respectively, or corresponding positions. The mutations may be introduced into the parent poliovirus e.g. by oligonucleotide site-directed mutagenesis. The modified polioviruses are temperature-sensitive for growth (and thus attenuated), but are more resistant to high temperature than the parent polioviruses. The attenuated viruses may be used as recombinant vaccines, to prevent poliovirus infection in humans. 036-93

Recombinant varicella-zoster virus containing hepatitis B virus PreS2 or surface antigen gene; for use in production of multivalent recombinant vaccine Osaka Univ. Eur 510 996; 28 October 1992

A new recombinant varicella-zoster virus (VZV), from the attenuated Oka strain ATCC-VR-795, contains at least one DNA sequence (I) of at least one hepatitis B virus (HBV) gene