World news roundup
pharmafile | March 30, 2007 | News story | Sales and Marketing |Â Â Â
Crucell partners with ADImmune on flu vaccine
Dutch biotechnology company Crucell and Taiwanese-based ADImmune are to collaborate on an influenza vaccine for the Tawain, Japan and Macau markets. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Under the terms of the deal, ADImmune will use Crucell's virosome technology to produce a virosomal adjuvanted influenza vaccine for the three markets. Additionally, ADImmune will produce influenza antigen, which Crucell may purchase for the production of its vaccine product, Inflexal V. Crucell will obtain a 20% equity stake in ADImmune.
Ronald Brus, Crucell's president and CEO, said: "Inflexal V is a distinguishable product that we intend to expand further into existing and new markets. The future additional supply of antigen from ADImmune will increase our possibilities to do this."
ADImmune is already employing Crucell's PER.C6 technology to develop and commercialise a vaccine against Japanese encephalitis virus in Taiwan and China.
Related links:
Crucell NV: LSA Company report
Stakeholder Perspectives: Influenza Vaccines – Flying back Into Flu
Avexa HIV drug meets trial goal
Australian biotechnology company Avexa has reported highly successful results from its phase IIb trial for HIV drug apricitabine (ATC).
ATC is Avexa's novel nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) being developed for the treatment of HIV infection in patients with drug-resistant HIV. The phase IIb trial compared the effectiveness of ATC in reducing the viral load of patients with drug-resistant HIV with the effectiveness of lamivudine (3TC), a leading NRTI in widespread use.
A total of 47 patients completed 21-day dosing. Of these 17 patients received 600 mg doses of ATC, 16 received 800 mg doses of ATC and the control group of 14 patients were treated with 3TC. Avexa said that the demonstration of superior activity in this study indicates that ATC will be an effective antiviral drug for the treatment of many drug-resistant patients, including even those most highly resistant.
"This is a fantastic result for Avexa," stated CEO Dr Julian Chick. "The positive result allows us to continue to progress ATC into phase III trials and towards commercialization. The team at Avexa has done a great job and these excellent results show that their hard work has paid off."
Avexa has completed a $15 million placement to US investors in the hope of raising a further $60 million through a fully underwritten rights issue, in order to provide the funds required to complete phase III trials for the drug.
Related links:
Commercial Insight: HIV – Change of guard
