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Biotech / Medical : Biotech Valuation -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: keokalani'nui who wrote (9671)	12/5/2003 5:38:41 PM
From: Biomaven	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 52153

respond to new (or imminent) viral strains much more quickly That might give them a significant advantage. Right now there is over a 6 month lag after the strain is known to when the drug is available. (The WHO makes the strain recommendations at the end of February). Baxter apparently also has a cell-based (vero, not human) flu vaccine that I think is approved in Europe: intercell.com So they seem to be well in the lead. Peter

To: keokalani'nui who wrote (9671)	1/7/2004 12:29:32 PM
From: Biomaven	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 52153

While we're (still) on the Flu subject, even though it is far away, one might keep in mind crxl's whole-killed (could also describe the shareholders!) program. Well it turns out Wilder was right to keep them in mind: Press Release Source: Crucell N.V. Aventis and Crucell Announce Strategic Agreement to Develop and Commercialize Novel Influenza Vaccines Wednesday January 7, 9:52 am ET Agreement covers pandemic and inter-pandemic influenza vaccines LYON, France and LEIDEN, The Netherlands, Jan. 7, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- Aventis (NYSE:AVE - News) and Crucell N.V. (Euronext:CRXL) (NasdaqNM:CRXL - News) announced today that they have entered into a strategic agreement to further develop and commercialize novel influenza vaccine products based on Crucell's proprietary PER.C6(TM) cell line technology. The agreement covers both pandemic and epidemic influenza vaccines, which up to now have been part of Crucell's in-house product development program. ADVERTISEMENT [] Under the terms of the agreement, Aventis Pasteur, the vaccines business of Aventis, receives an exclusive license to research, develop, manufacture and market cell-based influenza vaccines using Crucell's unique PER.C6(TM) cell line technology. Crucell will receive milestone payments, annual payments, and research and development funding totaling (Eur) 30 million (USD 38 million), and high single- up to double-digit royalties on future PER.C6(TM)-based influenza vaccine sales. Crucell retains the commercialization rights for Japan, which accounts for 15% of the global influenza vaccine market that, in 2002 totaled (Eur) 1.2 billion (USD 1.5 billion). For Japan, Aventis Pasteur will supply finished vaccine products to Crucell, and Crucell will pay a royalty on sales to Aventis Pasteur. Aventis Pasteur is the world leader in the production and marketing of influenza vaccines. In 2002, Aventis Pasteur's consolidated influenza vaccine product sales totaled (Eur) 460 million (USD 579 million*); representing a 38% global market share. ``PER.C6(TM) technology shows potential to deliver superior performance, which should allow for production of large quantities of influenza vaccine each year,'' said Michel DeWilde, executive vice-president, research and development for Aventis Pasteur. ``Unlike other cell-based technologies, PER.C6(TM) will make large scale production economically competitive. It addresses limitations presented by other cell culture technologies that would require enormous increases in physical production capacity over the current egg-based production of influenza vaccines.'' ``We believe that combining Crucell's PER.C6(TM) cell line technology with Aventis Pasteur's market leadership and research and development expertise in vaccines will lead to a new generation of cell-based influenza vaccines capable of significantly augmenting and potentially replacing current egg-based methods,'' commented Dinko Valerio, president and CEO of Crucell. ``This is our first strategic agreement for developing and marketing one of Crucell's in-house vaccine programs. It allows Crucell to retain a considerable piece of the large and growing influenza vaccine market, and will also speed the global commercialization of a PER.C6(TM)-based product.'' Influenza: A Public Health Threat Influenza, commonly called ``the flu'', is a highly contagious infection of the respiratory tract that spreads from person-to-person through infectious respiratory secretion droplets caused by coughing or sneezing. Influenza outbreaks occur almost every year and their severity varies considerably. Each year approximately 10 to 20% of the world's population contracts influenza. An estimated 250,000 to 500,000 people die annually from influenza-associated complications. Occasionally a major genetic shift in the influenza virus results in a deadly new virus strain to which the human population does not have immunity, and a global pandemic outbreak occurs. The most severe pandemic recorded, the Spanish influenza pandemic, occurred from 1918 to 1920 and caused an estimated 50 million deaths worldwide. Public health officials and the scientific community agree that the world is long overdue for a pandemic influenza outbreak. Demand for influenza vaccines is expected to more than double by 2010, driven by risks of a new influenza pandemic, SARS, the world's ageing population, and broader government vaccination recommendations. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recently lowered the recommended age for vaccination from 65 to 50 and will add infants between the ages of six and 23 months in the 2004-5 season. Across Asia, governments already have broadened their vaccination recommendations to minimize confusion between influenza and SARS infections, with Singapore now recommending annual influenza vaccination for the entire population. In Europe, recommendations could also evolve in future years. For example, since the beginning of 2003, influenza vaccination has been encouraged in Belgium for those from 50 to 65 years of age. PER.C6(TM) as Influenza Vaccine Production Technology Crucell's PER.C6(TM) technology is a cell line developed for the large-scale manufacture of biological products including vaccines. PER.C6(TM) 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 future potential influenza pandemic. A PER.C6(TM)-based vaccine offers the possibility of advantages for both epidemic and pandemic preparedness. Other cell culture technologies demonstrate inferiority to PER.C6(TM) technology in terms of economic, large-scale production.