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Leiden, The Netherlands, December 8, 2005 - Dutch biotechnology company Crucell N.V. (Euronext, NASDAQ: CRXL) announced today that it has signed a PER.C6® research license agreement with German vaccine development company Vakzine Projekt Management (VPM) GmbH.
The non-exclusive agreement allows VPM to use the PER.C6® cell line to develop a vaccine to prevent a specific (undisclosed) infectious disease, and to develop diagnostics. VPM has also obtained an option to convert the research license into a non-exclusive product-specific commercial license.
Under the terms of the agreement, VPM will pay a research license fee and annual maintenance fees. Further financial details were not disclosed.
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® production technology. The company also licenses its PER.C6® 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.
About VPM
VPM (Vakzine Projekt Management GmbH, Hannover) organizes the preclinical and clinical development of vaccines and other immunologically active products on behalf of GBF (Gesellschaft für Biotechnologische Forschung, Braunschweig - German Biotechnology Research center) and is funded by BMBF (Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung - German Federal Ministry of Education and Research). VPM's shareholders are the management, the non-profit foundation Deutsche Stiftung Impfstoffforschung (German Vaccine Foundation, Hannover) and the non-profit development association of the GBF, Braunschweig. For more information, please visit www.vakzine-manager.de.
Crucell's Licensing Program Disclosure Policy
Crucell believes it has a duty to inform (potential) investors and other stakeholders about every licensing agreement it reaches with third parties - regardless of the significance of current or future revenue or royalties generated by the agreement. Crucell fulfils this duty by issuing a press release that invariably consists of the name of the contract party, the nature of the license and an indication of the relevant technology or therapeutic area. This ensures that every potential investor or interested party can be fully up-to-date with all licensing agreements made by Crucell with third parties. An overview of all Crucell's licensees and partners can be found on the Company's website, including an overview of each relevant product's phase of development.
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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