Patent ID: 7445929

Claim:
A recombinant adenovirus vector, for which inflammation during in vivo administration thereof is alleviated as compared with a first generation adenovirus vector lacking the E1 gene, said recombinant adenovirus vector having the following characteristics: (a) deletion of the adenovirus E1A and E1B genes; (b) retention of at least ORF3 of the adenovirus E4 gene; (c) presence of a foreign gene under control of a foreign promoter; (d) relocation of the adenovirus protein IX gene to a position in said vector at which expression of said protein IX gene is not induced by said foreign promoter, said position being at least 18 kb or more from the foreign promoter, and either: (i) between the adenovirus L3 gene and the adenovirus E2A gene, or (ii) between the E4 gene and the 3′ ITR: wherein said vector encodes a virus particle having infectivity and thermal stability equivalent to that of an adenovirus wild-type strain.