Johnson & Johnson and Crucell Announce Strategic Collaboration to
Develop Innovative Products, Inclu
(Thomson Reuters ONE) - Agreement also includes 18% Equity Investment in Crucell by Johnson &Johnson and Collaboration to Develop Innovative Therapies for OtherDiseasesNew Brunswick, N.J., and Leiden, The Netherlands, 28 September 2009- Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) and Crucell N.V. (Euronext, NASDAQ:CRXL; Swiss Exchange: CRX) today announced that Johnson & Johnson,through its subsidiary Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc.,and Crucell have entered into a strategic collaboration focusing onthe discovery, development and commercialization of monoclonalantibodies and vaccines for the treatment and prevention of influenzaand other infectious and non-infectious diseases.The immediate focus of the collaboration will be the development andcommercialization of a universal monoclonal antibody product(flu-mAb) for the treatment and prevention of influenza. The focus ofthe long-term innovation collaboration will be on new discoveryprograms leading to the development and commercialization of auniversal influenza vaccine as well as the development of monoclonalantibodies and/or vaccines directed against up to three otherinfectious and non-infectious disease targets.Johnson & Johnson, through its affiliate JHC Nederland B.V., has alsopurchased 14.6 million newly issued ordinary shares of Crucell,representing approximately 18% of Crucell's outstanding ordinaryshares, for an aggregate purchase price of ? 301.8 million. Inaddition, the companies have agreed to development milestones androyalty payments based on the successful development andcommercialization of products in connection with the collaboration.Under the flu-mAb collaboration, Crucell and Ortho-McNeil-JanssenPharmaceuticals or its affiliates will share responsibilities todevelop a universal flu-mAb product targeting all influenza Astrains, including H1N1 strains (which cause seasonal flu and thecurrent pandemic) and the H5N1 or avian strain ('bird flu'). Crucellwill be responsible for research and development through Phase IIa ofthe influenza antibodies it has already discovered, as well as newlydiscovered influenza antibodies that emerge from the collaboration.Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals or its affiliates will beresponsible for late-stage development of the flu-mAb product fromPhase IIb onward.Under the long-term innovation collaboration, Ortho-McNeil-JanssenPharmaceuticals or its affiliates and Crucell will jointly work todiscover and develop a universal flu vaccine for the prevention ofinfluenza, as well as antibody and/or vaccine products against up tothree additional infectious or non-infectious disease targets to beselected after exploratory research.Both collaborations will leverage the vaccine/antibody know-how andtechnology platforms of Crucell and the broad scientific anddevelopment expertise of Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals and itsaffiliates.Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals will hold commercializationrights for products resulting from both collaborations in allcountries throughout the world with the exception of the EuropeanUnion and certain additional European countries, where Crucell willretain commercialization rights. Ortho-McNeil-JanssenPharmaceuticals' commercialization rights for products emerging fromthe innovation collaboration may be expanded worldwide if Crucellelects not to contribute toward development.Influenza causes significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. In2008 alone, some 14 million people in the industrialized world werediagnosed with influenza, with millions more being diagnosed indeveloping regions. Annual flu epidemics are thought to result in 3-5million cases of severe illness and result in more than 350 thousanddeaths every year around the world."Despite significant advances in prevention and treatment, influenzaremains a major health threat, and each year, vaccines must beformulated to address the current influenza strain," said PaulStoffels, Global Head, Pharmaceuticals Research and Development,Johnson & Johnson. "A universal antibody or vaccine that protectsagainst a broad range of strains would be an important advance inhelping doctors and nurses manage the annual influenza season andcontrol acute epidemic and pandemic outbreaks. We are excited aboutthis collaboration with Crucell because it provides us access toantibody and vaccine know-how and technology and expands our abilityto offer preventive health care solutions for unmet medical needs."Crucell's Chief Executive Officer, Ronald Brus, said: "Crucell'sinnovative technologies for the discovery, development andmanufacture of antibody products and vaccines provide avenues todevelop much-needed medical solutions for global health threats. Weare delighted that this collaboration with Johnson & Johnson willstrengthen and facilitate our efforts to bring innovation to globalhealth. It provides an avenue to accelerate Crucell's existing'flu-mAb' program, which has already demonstrated the potential todeliver an antibody product for the prevention and treatment of anytype of influenza strain.In connection with the equity investment, Crucell and JHC Nederlandhave entered into a shareholder agreement setting forth certainrights and restrictions of JHC Nederland as a shareholder, whichincludes a 3-year standstill requiring Crucell's consent for anincrease of JHC Nederland's interest in Crucell (subject to customaryexceptions), a 3-month lock-up on transfers of the shares (subject tocustomary exceptions) and certain other provisions. The shareholderagreement will be described in more detail in the prospectus whichwill be issued by Crucell in connection with the listing of theshares issued to JHC Nederland.On August 18, 2009, Crucell announced that it had received a USNational Institutes of Health (NIH) contract aimed at advancing thedevelopment of monoclonal antibodies for the treatment of seasonaland pandemic influenza. The contract provides funding of up to $40.7million, with additional options worth a further $28.4 million thatmay be triggered at the discretion of the NIH, bringing the potentialtotal award amount to $69.1 million. This funding will be used forCrucell's work in the flu-mAb collaboration announced today betweenCrucell and Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals to expedite thepotential availability of a universal antibody product for thetreatment and prevention of influenza in humans.The transaction is expected to have an estimated dilutive impact of$0.02 to $0.04 on Johnson & Johnson's 2009 adjusted earnings pershare.Barclays Capital acted as financial advisor to Crucell.--------------------------------------------------------------------Crucell Conference Call and Webcast for mediaAt 09:00 Central European Time (CET), Crucell's management willconduct a conference call for all media, which will also be webcast.To participate in the conference call, please call one of thefollowing telephone numbers 15 minutes prior to the event: +44 203 003 2666 for the UK; +1 646 843 4608 for the US; and +3120 794 8426 for the NetherlandsFollowing a short introduction on the collaboration with Johnson &Johnson, the lines will be opened for a question and answer session.--------------------------------------------------------------------Crucell Conference Call and Webcast for analysts/investorsAt 14:00 Central European Time (CET), Crucell's management willconduct a conference call for analysts and investors, which will alsobe webcast. To participate in the conference call, please call one ofthe following telephone numbers 15 minutes prior to the event: +44 203 003 2666 for the UK; +1 646 843 4608 for the US; and +3120 794 8426 for the NetherlandsFollowing a presentation of the collaboration with Johnson & Johnson,the lines will be opened for a question and answer session.Both live audio webcasts can be accessed via the homepage ofCrucell's website at www.crucell.com and will be archived andavailable for replay following the event.About Johnson & JohnsonCaring for the world, one person at a time..inspires and unites thepeople of Johnson & Johnson. We embrace research and science -bringing innovative ideas, products and services to advance thehealth and well-being of people. Our approximately 117,000 employeesat more than 250 Johnson & Johnson companies work with partners inhealth care to touch the lives of over a billion people every daythroughout the world.About CrucellCrucell N.V. is a global biopharmaceutical company focused onresearch development, production and marketing of vaccines, proteinsand antibodies that prevent and/or treat infectious diseases. Itsvaccines are sold in public and private markets worldwide. Crucell'score portfolio includes a vaccine against hepatitis B, a fully-liquidvaccine against five important childhood diseases and avirosome-adjuvanted vaccine against influenza. Crucell also marketstravel vaccines, such as the only oral anti-typhoid vaccine, an oralcholera vaccine and the only aluminum-free hepatitis A vaccine on themarket. The Company has a broad development pipeline, with severalproduct candidates based on its unique PER.C6® production technology.The Company licenses its PER.C6® technology and other technologies tothe biopharmaceutical industry. Important partners and licenseesinclude DSM Biologics, Sanofi-Aventis, Novartis, Wyeth, GSK, CSL andMerck & Co. Crucell is headquartered in Leiden, the Netherlands, withsubsidiaries in Switzerland, Spain, Italy, Sweden, Korea and the U.S.The Company employs over 1000 people. For more information, pleasevisit www.crucell.com.Forward-looking statementsThis press release contains "forward-looking statements" as definedin the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Thesestatements are based on current expectations of future events. Ifunderlying assumptions prove inaccurate or unknown risks oruncertainties materialize, actual results could vary materially fromJohnson & Johnson's and Crucell's expectations and projections. Risksand uncertainties include the potential that market segment growthwill not follow historical patterns; general industry conditions andcompetition; business and economic conditions, such as interest rateand currency exchange rate fluctuations; technological advances andpatents attained by competitors; challenges inherent in new productdevelopment, including obtaining regulatory approvals; domestic andforeign healthcare reforms and government laws and regulations; andtrends toward healthcare cost containment. A further list anddescription of these risks, uncertainties and other factors can befound in Exhibit 99 of Johnson & Johnson's Annual Report on Form 10-Kfor the fiscal year ended December 28, 2008, and Crucell's AnnualReport/ Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2008, asfiled with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on April 22,2009, as well as other subsequent filings. Crucell prepares itsfinancial statements under International Financial ReportingStandards (IFRS). Copies of all referenced filings, as well assubsequent filings, are available online at www.sec.gov, www.jnj.com,www.crucell.com, or on request from Johnson & Johnson or Crucell.Neither Johnson & Johnson nor Crucell undertakes to update anyforward-looking statements as a result of new information or futureevents or developments.For further information please contact:Crucell N.V. - Media & InvestorsOya YavuzVice PresidentCorporate Communications & Investor RelationsTel. +31 (0)71 519 7064ir(at)crucell.comwww.crucell.comJohnson & Johnson - MediaFrederik WittockJohnson & JohnsonTel. + 32 14 60 57 24Mob. + 32 476 92 5077Seema KumarTel. +1 (908)218 6460Mob. +1 (908) 405 1144Bill PriceTel. +1 (732) 524 3922Mob. +1 (732) 668 3735Johnson & Johnson - InvestorsLouise MehrotraTel. +1 (732) 524 6491Stan PanasewiczTel. +1 (732) 524 2524http://hugin.info/132631/R/1343928/322101.pdfThis announcement was originally distributed by Hugin. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
Datum: 28.09.2009 - 07:44 Uhr
Sprache: Deutsch
News-ID 6270
Anzahl Zeichen: 0
contact information:
Town:
London
Kategorie:
Business News
Diese Pressemitteilung wurde bisher 268 mal aufgerufen.
Die Pressemitteilung mit dem Titel:
"Johnson & Johnson and Crucell Announce Strategic Collaboration to
Develop Innovative Products, Inclu"
steht unter der journalistisch-redaktionellen Verantwortung von
Crucell N.V. (Nachricht senden)
Beachten Sie bitte die weiteren Informationen zum Haftungsauschluß (gemäß TMG - TeleMedianGesetz) und dem Datenschutz (gemäß der DSGVO).
