GenVec Inc announced the issuance of U.S. Patent No. 6,605,712 entitled "Gene Transcription and Ionizing Radiation: Methods and Compositions" which broadly covers the use of radiation to induce the expression of proteins in the treatment of cancer. The patent, issued on August 12, 2003 to the University of Chicago and exclusively licensed to GenVec, specifically covers GenVec's lead oncology product candidate, TNFerade. TNFerade is an adenovector, which induces the expression of the TNF-alpha protein in tumors.

Additionally, U.S. Patent No. 6,576,456 entitled "Chimeric Adenovirus Fiber Protein," which allows targeting of an adenovector to specific cell types, including cancer, was issued jointly to the Cornell Research Foundation Inc and GenVec Inc on June 10, 2003. Specifically, this patent covers the removal of the native adenovirus receptor binding sequence and the insertion of a new sequence to allow binding of the adenovirus to a new receptor. This technology is currently being used to target adenovector therapies to specific cancer cells while avoiding healthy tissue, which is vital to systemic administration of second-generation TNF-based product candidates for the treatment of regional or metastatic disease.

"The issuance of these patents further strengthens the protection of our lead oncology product candidate, TNFerade, and our targeted second-generation TNF-based product candidates currently being developed under a collaboration with Fuso Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. of Japan," commented C. Richter King, GenVec's Vice President of Research. Dr. King concluded, "The Chimeric Adenovirus Fiber Protein patent may also play an important role in GenVec's development of vaccine candidates for SARS, HIV, malaria, and dengue virus."