Vaccines and therapies, including antibody preparations, have to be
developed in short timeframes;
Global cooperation essential, as with SARS
TOKYO, Oct. 20, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- At a symposium on infectious diseases held in Tokyo yesterday, Dr. Jaap Goudsmit, Chief Scientific Officer at Dutch biotechnology company Crucell N.V. (Euronext:CRXL) (Nasdaq:CRXL), outlined how lessons learned from the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak of late 2002 showed how the international community could respond effectively to a global flu pandemic.
Yesterday's seminar, held at Tokyo's Royal Netherlands Embassy, was attended by more than 40 scientists, researchers and medical experts in the field of infectious diseases. Dutch deputy prime minister and minister for Economic Affairs, Mr. Brinkhorst, gave the introductory speech at the symposium. "We live in a world where a focus on infectious diseases is becoming increasingly relevant," said Mr. Brinkhorst. "The development and implementation of new innovative technologies to reduce the risks and impact of emerging infectious diseases is encouraged intensively in both the Netherlands and in Japan."
The other keynote speakers included Dr. Yoshihiro Kawaoka, DVM, PhD, Director and Professor, International Research Center for Infectious Diseases and Division of Virology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo. Dr Tatsuo Miyamura, Director-General, Leprosy Research Center, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, chaired the event.
Avian flu is currently the main global pandemic threat. SARS was the 21st century's first outbreak of a newly emerging communicable disease. The isolation of patients, contact tracing, mass quarantine and bans on international travel were among the key global measures employed to combat the spread of the disease.
With SARS, the causative agent (a novel coronavirus) was isolated with extraordinary speed, and Crucell was the first to discover antibodies able to block SARS virus infection (ter Meulen et al, Lancet, 2004, 363(9427), 2139-2141).
Rapid discovery of antibodies against SARS was made possible by Crucell's MAbstract(R) technology, which facilitates high-throughput screening of antibody libraries. The antibody discovery program used for SARS can be readily adjusted to develop antibodies against other infectious diseases, such as avian flu. Crucell has recently partnered with Dr Ab Osterhaus of Rotterdam's Erasmus University to investigate starting an antibody discovery program against avian flu. This program potentially complements Crucell's involvement in influenza vaccine development and production, where it has joined forces with sanofi pasteur.
According to Dr Goudsmit, the lesson learned from SARS is that specific antiviral products against novel infectious agents can be developed given knowledge of the causative agent.
About PER.C6(R) Technology for Influenza Vaccine Production Crucell's PER.C6(R) technology is a cell line developed for the large-scale manufacture of biological products including vaccines. PER.C6(R) cells are highly susceptible to influenza viruses, thereby making the production of large amounts of influenza vaccine feasible. Currently used influenza vaccines are produced using embryonated chicken eggs and there is value to improving the timely production of new vaccines in large quantities to combat a potential future influenza pandemic. A PER.C6(R)-based vaccine offers the possibility of advantages for both epidemic and pandemic preparedness. In comparison with other cell-culture technologies, PER.C6(R) offers advantages in terms of its safety and capacity for economic, large-scale production.
About Crucell
Crucell N.V. is a biotechnology company focused on developing vaccines and antibodies that prevent and treat infectious diseases, including Ebola, influenza, malaria, West Nile virus and rabies. The company's development programs include collaborations with: sanofi pasteur for influenza vaccines; the U.S. National Institutes of Health for Ebola and malaria vaccines; and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), Walter Reed Army Institute of Research and New York University for a malaria vaccine. Crucell's products are based on its PER.C6(R) production technology. The company also licenses its PER.C6(R) technology to the biopharmaceutical industry. Licensees and partners include DSM Biologics, GSK, Centocor/J&J and Merck & Co., Inc. Crucell is headquartered in Leiden, The Netherlands, and is listed on the Euronext and NASDAQ stock exchanges (ticker symbol CRXL). For more information, please visit www.crucell.com.
Forward-looking statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve inherent risks and uncertainties. We have identified certain important factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in such forward-looking statements. For information relating to these factors please refer to our Form 20-F, as filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on April 14, 2005, and the section entitled "Risk Factors". The company prepares its financial statements under generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (US GAAP).
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