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Crucell N.V. (AMS:CRXL) Basel, Switzerland / Leiden, The Netherlands (September 25, 2008) - Lonza (Swiss Exchange: LONN) and Crucell N.V. (Euronext, Nasdaq: CRXL; Swiss Exchange: CRX) entered into a co-exclusive manufacturing, sales and distribution agreement related to the PERMEXCIS(TM) cell culture medium developed by Crucell for PER.C6® cells. Under this agreement, Lonza will manufacture the medium, and in addition will market and sell it on a global basis. Financial details of the agreement were not disclosed.
The PERMEXCIS(TM) medium is a chemically defined cell culture medium that does not contain human- or animal-derived components. PERMEXCIS(TM) medium was developed for the cultivation of PER.C6® cells and has been designed for use in the large-scale manufacture of biopharmaceutical products including vaccines. This novel medium has proven, in a comparison study performed by Crucell, to provide higher viral vaccine product yields in PER.C6® based manufacturing processes than some of the current available media for PER.C6® cells on the market.
"We are pleased to have entered into this agreement with Lonza. The agreement demonstrates the power and robustness of our PER.C6® technology. Over 60 companies and organizations have already selected our PER.C6® technology to develop their own products across a wide range of therapeutic areas. We are proud that Lonza will manufacture the PERMEXCIS(TM) cell culture medium and in addition will market and sell it globally" said Ronald Brus, Crucell's Chief Executive Officer.
About PER.C6® Technology Crucell's PER.C6® technology platform has been developed for the large-scale manufacture of biopharmaceutical products such as recombinant proteins including monoclonal antibodies. Compared to conventional production technologies, the strengths of PER.C6® technology lie in its excellent safety profile, scalability and productivity under serum-free culture conditions.
About Lonza Lonza is one of the world's leading suppliers to the pharmaceutical, healthcare and life science industries. Its products and services span its customers' needs from research to final product manufacture. Lonza is the global leader in the production and support of active pharmaceutical ingredients both chemically as well as biotechnologically. Biopharmaceuticals are one of the key growth drivers of the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. Lonza has strong capabilities in large and small molecules, peptides, amino acids and niche bioproducts which play an important role in the development of novel medicines and healthcare products. Lonza is a leader in cell-based research, endotoxin detection and cell therapy manufacturing. Lonza is also a leading provider of value chemical and biotech ingredients to the nutrition, hygiene, preservation, agro and personal care markets.
Lonza is headquartered in Basel, Switzerland and is listed on the SWX Swiss Exchange. In 2007, Lonza had sales of CHF 2.87 billion. Further information can be found at www.lonza.com.
About Crucell Crucell N.V. (Euronext, NASDAQ: CRXL; Swiss Exchange: CRX) is a global biopharma company focused on research, development, production and marketing of vaccines, proteins and antibodies that prevent and treat primarily infectious diseases. Its vaccines are sold in public and private markets worldwide. Crucell's core portfolio includes a vaccine against hepatitis B, a fully-liquid vaccine against five important childhood diseases and a virosome-adjuvanted vaccine against influenza. Crucell also markets travel vaccines, such as the only oral anti-typhoid vaccine, an oral cholera vaccine and the only aluminum-free hepatitis A vaccine on the market. The Company has a broad development pipeline, with several product candidates based on its unique PER.C6® production technology. The Company licenses its PER.C6® technology and other technologies to the biopharmaceutical industry. Important partners and licensees include DSM Biologics, sanofi-aventis, Novartis, Wyeth and Merck & Co. Crucell is headquartered in Leiden, the Netherlands, with subsidiaries in Switzerland, Spain, Italy, Sweden, Korea and the US. The Company employs over a 1000 people. 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 May 7, 2008, and the section entitled "Risk Factors". The Company prepares its financial statements under International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS).
For further information please contact:
Crucell N.V. Oya Yavuz Director Corporate Communications & Investor Relations Tel. +31-(0)71-519 7064 ir@crucell.com www.crucell.com
