LEIDEN, The Netherlands, Jan. 14, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- Dutch biotechnology company Crucell N.V. (Euronext:CRXL) (Nasdaq:CRXL) announced today that it has been accepted as a new member of the Influenza Vaccine Supply (IVS) international task force.
A specialized group within the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA), the IVS was created in February 2002 to assist business leaders in ensuring adequate flu vaccine production capacity in the event of a pandemic, and to provide advice to health authorities regarding vaccination recommendations and delivery strategies.
The IVS member companies represent more than 90% of global influenza vaccine production, and are all involved in efforts to ensure production can meet the demands of a pandemic outbreak. They include Crucell's partner in its epidemic and pandemic flu vaccine programs, Sanofi Pasteur (formerly known as Aventis Pasteur), together with Sanofi Pasteur MSD, Baxter Vaccines, Berna Biotech, Biken, Chiron Vaccines, CSL Ltd, Denka Seiken, GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals, ID BioMedical, Kaketsuken, Kitasati Institute, MedImmune and Solvay Pharmaceuticals.
"Crucell represents a significant addition to our task force," said IVS chairman Luc Hessel of Sanofi Pasteur MSD. "New vaccine production technologies have emerged as an important consideration in influenza pandemic preparedness, and Crucell's expertise in cell-based vaccine production will be particularly relevant in that context."
"With the Crucell-Sanofi Pasteur collaboration set to progress to the clinic in 2005 with our PER.C6(r)-based flu vaccine program, we are clearly determined to make a substantial contribution to the fight against the threat of a flu pandemic," said Crucell's Chief Scientific Officer Jaap Goudsmit. "We believe major concerted efforts, such as that incorporated in IVS, will be crucial if we are to solve this public health challenge of growing proportions, and we are proud to be a part of it."
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).
Click here for a PDF version of this press release: http://hugin.info/132631/R/975917/143574.pdf