MERCK,ACTELION and others

Merck & CO Crucell, Merck sign agreement boosting malaria, TB, ebola vaccine development


AMSTERDAM (AFX) - Crucell NV said it has signed a vaccine licensing
agreement with Merck & Co, enabling Crucell to have access to Merck data which
it will use in the development of its AdVac technology based vaccines, such as
malaria, tuberculosis and ebola vaccines.
Merck, which has signed previous agreements with Crucell, will in exchange
be able to enlarge its use of Crucell's PER.C6 technology platform, towards the
development of undisclosed vaccines.
Merck already uses Crucell's PER.C6 technology platform in the development
of a vaccine against HIV.
A spokesperson for Crucell declined to give any financial details regarding
the licensing agreement.
"This agreement will make it possible to speed up the delivery of our
malaria and TB vaccines to the people in need, and makes it realistic to do so
on the mass scale required," Crucell's Jaap Goudsmit said, adding that the
agreement will also open the way for Crucell to speed up the Ebola programme.
"It brings the reality of vaccines such as these significantly closer,"
Goudsmit said.
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