Viragen.com >[Press Release] Viragen Reports Avian Transgenic Breakthrough: OVA(TM) System Expresses Interferon-Beta: Viragen, Inc. today announced that the Company's scientists, along with its collaborators at the Roslin Institute and Oxford BioMedica plc, have successfully achieved expression of significant quantities of the human protein, interferon beta-1a, in the whites of eggs laid by transgenic hens using the OVA(TM) System (Avian Transgenic Biomanufacturing). Interferon-beta is a key component of the human immune system and is the active ingredient in several leading multiple sclerosis (MS) therapies. These results are the first in a series of anticipated milestones demonstrating "Proof-of-Principle" with an avian-expressed version of interferon-beta, and it is expected that the OVA(TM) System will be capable of cost-effectively expressing many types of therapeutic proteins.

Viragen and Roslin are conducting avian expression studies on various protein candidates including interferon beta-1a, which is currently marketed under two competing brand names for the treatment of MS. These MS products are Avonex®*, marketed by Biogen Idec, and Rebif®**, marketed by Serono, with combined annual global sales over $2.5 billion.