LEIDEN, The Netherlands, Dec. 23, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- Dutch biotechnology company Crucell N.V. (Euronext: CRXL) (Nasdaq:CRXL) announced today that it has received a grant of up to Euro 2 Million from the SenterNovem program of the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs in support of its malaria research and AdVac(R) technology development.
"Crucell has established a number of rewarding and mutually beneficial collaborations with government institutions in the US," said Dr. Jaap Goudsmit, Crucell's Chief Scientific Officer. "We are pleased that we are now establishing similar relationships in the Netherlands on this very important project."
About SenterNovem
SenterNovem is a Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs R&D stimulation program consisting of more than 100 different subsidy schemes targeting high technology, energy, the environment, exports and international collaboration.
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 Aventis 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 innovative PER.C6(R) technology, which offers a safer, more efficient way to produce biopharmaceuticals. The company licenses its PER.C6(R) technology to the biopharmaceutical industry on a mostly non-exclusive basis. Licensees and CMO 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.
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 February 27, 2004, 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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