Embrex and Shenzhen Neptunus Interlong to Collaborate on Installation and Sale of Devices for Human Influenza Vaccine Manufacture

Embrex, Inc., The In Ovo Company has delivered to Shenzhen Neptunus Interlong Bio-technique Co. Ltd., Shenzhen, P.R. China, an Egg Remover® system and an Inovoject ® system. These have been installed in SNI's new state-of –the – art human influenza vaccine manufacturing facility at High-Tech Industrial Park Guangming, Shenzhen. Embrex will also provide regular service of the equipment.

The manufacturing facility, which has recently completed construction, is believed to be the largest and most advanced human influenza vaccine production facility in China. This follows on from SNI's successful IPO on the Hong Kong stock market in September 2005. The company was originally founded in 1994 and specializes in developing, producing and marketing bio-medicinal products from advanced biotechnology.

Before entering this collaboration with Embrex, SNI was able to consult with a number of the leading influenza vaccine manufacturers globally, many of whom have been using Embrex equipment for several years. These discussions confirmed the high quality of the equipment and service provided by Embrex, regardless of the location of the producer.

The high speed automated Egg Remover system identifies and removes, to a high degree of accuracy, infertile eggs and “early dead” embryos on days 9 to 11 of incubation. The viable eggs then proceed for inoculation with the influenza virus using the Inovoject system which injects eggs at a rate of approximately 30,000 eggs/hour. The Inovoject system has quality and process attributes which have made it a vital part of meeting the critical technical and regulatory needs of human flu vaccine producers in many countries, including a proprietary sanitation system which cleans needles after injection of every egg, thus minimizing cross-contamination between eggs.

Dr. David Baines, Vice President Global Sales & Marketing, Embrex commented that; “We are delighted to be working with SNI who clearly have a dedication to producing high quality vaccines and so wish to use the most advanced technology in all parts of their production process. We look forward to a long and close collaboration. This new installation in China is an example of the demands for equipment that we are seeing from many countries due to increasing egg-based flu vaccine production capacity to satisfy demands for both seasonal and pandemic flu vaccines”.

Dr. Xiangdong Chai, Managing Director, SNI said “We have been very impressed by what we have seen and heard of the Embrex equipment and especially the service provided on an on-going basis, which we regard as vital in ensuring the success of our new venture.”

About SNI

SNI is a high and new technology enterprise engaging in the R&D of modern biological technology, production and sale of cytokines category protein therapeutic drugs and biological products for disease prevention.

About Embrex

Embrex®, Inc., The In Ovo Company®, headquartered in Research Triangle Park, NC, is an international agricultural biotechnology company engaged in the development of innovative in ovo (in the egg) solutions that meet the needs of today's global poultry industry. The company's unique integration of several scientific and engineering disciplines enables it to be the leading provider of in ovo, value-added solutions with its automated injection and detection devices as well as its select vaccines.