RICHMOND, Va. — Commonwealth Biotechnologies, Inc. (CBI) (NASDAQ Capital Market: CBTE), announced today that it has been approved by the Department of Health and Human Services under the Select Agent Programs of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to carry out work on the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) - also called " the bird flu virus". The approval allows CBI to possess and use the virus within the United States.
"This is a milestone for CBI’s vaccine development services and marks the addition of Avian Flu to CBI’s list of vaccine support capabilities," said Thomas Reynolds, Executive Vice President, Science and Technology. Mr. Reynolds, who has senior management oversight responsibility for CBI’s Biosafety Level 3 (BSL-3) facility added, "CBI is one of a select few laboratories worldwide able to carry out this type of research",
In order to be granted approval under this tightly regulated government program, CBI had to establish rigorous containment and safety procedures in its Biosafety Level 3 laboratories. Dr. Richard J. Freer, Chairman and COO of CBI and the Responsible Official for the CDC/APHIS registration commented, "Few non-governmental entities have the facilities and expertise to perform avian flu research with the live virus in spite of the extensive need for this type of facility. This approval will now allow CBI to offer a world class facility to the myriad number of companies working in this area but constrained by not being able to develop and test their products against the actual virus."
Paul D’Sylva, CEO of CBI, added that, "One of the strong synergies created by the recent acquisition of Mimotopes is in the vaccine development area where each company has complementary product and service capabilities. Hence, vaccine development is one of the company’s targeted growth areas. This capability to work with pandemic flu will enhance our service offerings to our clients greatly."
About CBI
Commonwealth Biotechnologies, Inc. is a solutions provider to the global biotechnology industry, academic institutions, government agencies, and pharmaceutical companies. It offers broad ranging expertise and a complete array of the most current analytical and synthetic chemistries and biophysical analysis technologies, many of which are not available from other commercial sources. CBI has crafted a stimulating, open environment where scientists collaborate among themselves and with our clients, take on interesting challenges and develop creative solutions.
Any statements contained in this release that relate to future plans, events or performance are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties as identified in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Actual results, events or performance may differ materially. No statement herein should be considered an offer of any securities. Readers are cautioned not to place undo reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as the date hereof. Specifically, there can be no guarantee that CBI will be able to recognize any revenues as a result of this new approval.
A number of factors, including customer demand, industry trends, armed conflict, and terrorist activities could alter these trends referenced herein. CBI undertakes no obligation to publicly release the results of any revisions to these forward looking statements that may be made to reflect the events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.
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