Stressgen's attack on HPV

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a difficult target because it can lie dormant and replicates at low levels in the squamous epithelium. Also, there are more than 100 HPV genotypes, which makes development of a broad-acting therapeutic very difficult.

However, that hasn't stopped companies from seeking to develop drugs to prevent and treat HPV, which is associated with genital warts, cervical cancer and other conditions. Last week, Stressgen Biotechnologies Corp. (SSB, Victoria, B.C.) partnered its HspE7 HPV therapeutic vaccine with Roche (SWX:ROCZ, Basel, Switzerland), a deal that could bring in more than $200 million in licensing fees and milestones (see B5). ...