DSM Biologics, a business unit of DSM Pharmaceutical Products, and Dutch biopharmaceutical company Crucell N.V. (Euronext, Nasdaq: CRXL; Swiss Exchange: CRX), today announced that GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) signed a license agreement allowing GSK to research a recombinant protein on the PER.C6(R) platform. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
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"We are very pleased to enter into this collaboration with GSK", said Ronald Brus, Crucell's Chief Executive Officer. "This agreement further underscores the potential of our PER.C6(R) production technology for generating recombinant proteins."
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"The PER.C6(R) production technology continues to surpass our expectations as a robust manufacturing platform with its ever extending and global reach into the Research and Development departments of major healthcare players," adds Karen King, President of DSM Biologics. "This agreement with GSK brings us closer to our mission of making the PER.C6(R) technology a gold standard for industry use."
About PER.C6(R) technology
Crucell's PER.C6(R) 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(R) technology lie in its excellent safety profile, scalability and productivity under serum-free culture conditions.
About DSM Biologics
DSM Biologics, a business unit of DSM Pharmaceutical Products, is a global provider of manufacturing technology & services to the biopharmaceutical industry. In addition to offering world-class biopharmaceutical manufacturing services, DSM Biologics has co-exclusive rights, along with Dutch biotech company Crucell N.V., to license the high-producing PER.C6(R) human cell line as a production platform for recombinant proteins and monoclonal antibodies. The combination of the PER.C6(R) human cell line and DSM's manufacturing services provides companies with a turn-key biologic manufacturing solution reducing cost, risk and time to market.
DSM - the Life Sciences and Materials Sciences Company
Royal DSM N.V. creates innovative products and services in Life Sciences and Materials Sciences that contribute to the quality of life. DSM's products and services are used globally in a wide range of markets and applications, supporting a healthier, more sustainable and more enjoyable way of life. End markets include human and animal nutrition and health, personal care, pharmaceuticals, automotive, coatings and paint, electrics and electronics, life protection and housing. DSM has annual sales of almost EUR 8.8 billion and employs some 23,000 people worldwide. The company is headquartered in the Netherlands, with locations on five continents. DSM is listed on Euronext Amsterdam. More information: www.dsm.com.
About Crucell
Crucell N.V. (Euronext, NASDAQ: CRXL; Swiss Exchange: CRX) is a global biopharmaceutical company focused on research, development, production and marketing of vaccines, proteins and antibodies that prevent and treat 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(R) production technology. The Company licenses its PER.C6(R) 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, Portugal, 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. These statements are based on current expectations, estimates and projections of the management of DSM and Crucell and information currently available to both companies. The statements involve certain risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict and therefore DSM and Crucell do not guarantee that their expectations will be realized. Furthermore, DSM and Crucell have no obligation to update the statements contained in this press release. Crucell N.V. has 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 the Form 20-F, as filed by Crucell N.V. with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on May 7, 2008, and in particular the section entitled "Risk Factors". Crucell N.V. prepares its financial statements under International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS).
For further information please contact: DSM Pharmaceutical Products Karen King President DSM Biologics Tel: +1-973-257-8427 [email protected] DSM Biologics Marcel Lubben Vice President Marketing, Sales & NBD Tel: +31-46-477 3343 [email protected] Crucell N.V. Oya Yavuz Director Corporate Communications & Investor Relations Tel: +31-71-519 7064 [email protected]
SOURCE DSM Pharmaceutical Products
