OXFORD, England, May 9, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

-- UshStat^® video selected to showcase theme of "Life-changing Research" --

Oxford BioMedica plc ("Oxford BioMedica" or "the Company") (LSE: OXB), the leading gene-based biopharmaceutical company, today announces an update from the 2013 Annual Meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) held in Seattle, Washington (USA) on 5-9 May 2013.  The ARVO annual meeting is the largest gathering of eye and vision researchers in the world and this year's theme is "Life-changing Research".

Oxford BioMedica's collaborators at Oregon Health & Science University's Casey Eye Institute, Portland, Oregon submitted a video to ARVO which featured a patient who has been treated with UshStat^®.  UshStat^® is a novel gene-based treatment for Usher syndrome type 1B, the most common form of deaf-blindness, and was designed and developed by Oxford BioMedica using the Company's proprietary LentiVector^® platform technology.

The video was awarded second place in a contest to promote the ARVO 2013 theme and was showcased at the Sunday 5 May, 2013 Keynote Session: click here to watch the video.

Oxford BioMedica also presented two posters entitled "Glaucoma-GT, a novel gene therapy treatment for primary open-angle glaucoma" (abstract ID: 2741 - A0185) and "The LentiVector^® Gene Therapy Platform for Ocular Disease: a clinical update" (abstract ID: 2744 - A0188).

John Dawson, Chief Executive Officer of Oxford BioMedica, said: "Our ocular gene therapy programmes continue to receive recognition from the ARVO community and we thank our collaborators at OHSU's Casey Eye Institute for their support."

Notes to editors

1. Oxford BioMedica^®

Oxford BioMedica plc (LSE: OXB) is a biopharmaceutical company developing innovative gene-based medicines and therapeutic vaccines that aim to improve the lives of patients with high unmet medical needs. The Company's technology platform includes a highly efficient LentiVector^® gene delivery system, which has specific advantages for targeting diseases of the central nervous system and the eye; and a unique tumour antigen (5T4), which is an ideal target for anti-cancer therapy. Through in-house and collaborative research, Oxford BioMedica has a broad pipeline with current partners and licensees including Sanofi, Pfizer, Novartis, GlaxoSmithKline, MolMed, Sigma-Aldrich, Biogen Idec, Emergent BioSolutions, ImaginAb and Immune Design Corp. Further information is available at http://www.oxfordbiomedica.co.uk and http://www.oxbsolutions.co.uk.

2. Casey Eye Institute

The Casey Eye Institute at Oregon Health & Science University is a world-recognized academic eye center that attracts top specialists from around the globe.  As one of the leading institutions for vision research in the nation, Casey is known for developing and utilizing the very latest treatments and technologies.  From ground-breaking research and education, to specialty care in retina, glaucoma, inflammatory eye disease and refractive and plastic surgery - Casey's focus it to provide the best possible eye health in its clinics and in the community.  In addition, the Elks Children's Eye Clinic at Casey has been providing exceptional pediatric eye care since 1949, thanks to the generous support of the Oregon State Elks Association.  

3. LentiVector^® gene delivery technology

Oxford BioMedica's LentiVector^® gene delivery technology is one of the most advanced gene delivery systems currently available, which has many applications in product development and discovery research.  It is the system of choice for gene-based treatments addressing chronic and inherited diseases.  Oxford BioMedica has established a dominant intellectual property estate in the field of lentiviral-vector mediated gene delivery through its in-house research and from work conducted by the Company's co-founders at Oxford University.

4. Usher syndrome type 1B and UshStat^®

Usher syndrome is the most common form of deaf-blindness which affects approximately 30,000-50,000 patients in the US and Europe.  One of the most common subtypes is Usher syndrome type 1B. The disease is caused by a mutation of the gene encoding myosin VIIA (MY07A), which leads to progressive retinitis pigmentosa combined with a congenital hearing defect.  UshStat^® uses the Company's LentiVector^® platform technology to deliver a corrected version of the MYO7A gene to address the vision loss associated with the disease.  On the basis of pre-clinical data, it is anticipated that a single application of UshStat^® to the retina could provide long-term or potentially permanent stabilisation of vision.  There are currently no approved treatments available for Usher syndrome type 1B.

For further information, please contact:

Oxford BioMedica plc:
Lara Mott, Head of Corporate Communications
Tel: +44(0)1865-783-000

Casey Eye Institute:
Mirabai Vogt
Tel: +1-503-494-7986

Media Enquiries:
Mary Clark/Sarah Macleod/Claire Dickinson
M:Communications
Tel: +44(0)20-7920-2360

SOURCE Oxford BioMedica plc