Cambridge, UK -- (MARKET WIRE) -- November 14, 2006 --Update on US Government MVA procurement
Cambridge, UK and Cambridge, Massachusetts - 14 November 2006 - Acambis
plc ("Acambis") (LSE: ACM; NASDAQ: ACAM) announces that it has received
notification from the US Department of Health and Human Services ("HHS")
that its proposal is no longer being considered for award as part of the
US Government's Modified Vaccinia Ankara ("MVA") smallpox vaccine tender
process.
Acambis received notification late yesterday that HHS has re-evaluated
Acambis' technical proposal and found that its proposal is no longer in
the competitive range for award. As such, Acambis is no longer eligible
to receive a contract. Acambis plans to request a meeting to gain further
clarification, following which it will consider its options. The US
National Institutes of Health has indicated that it intends to continue
Acambis' existing MVA contracts at their current price and scope.
Gordon Cameron, Chief Executive Officer, said:
"We are surprised that the US Government would eliminate Acambis from the
RFP process. We believe that our proposal would have met the requirements
of the US Government, especially given Acambis' track record in the
biodefence field."
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Enquiries:
Acambis plc
Lyndsay Wright, VP, Communications and IR
Tel: +44 (0) 1223 275 300
Financial Dynamics
David Yates/Anna Keeble
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7831 3113
About Acambis
Acambis is a leading biotechnology company targeting infectious diseases
with novel vaccines. Acambis' development-stage pipeline includes
vaccines that could either offer improvements over existing products or
target unmet medical needs. Its investigational vaccine against Japanese
encephalitis, ChimeriVax-JE, which is undergoing Phase 3 clinical
testing, is intended to provide an "ideal" vaccine to address the
estimated 50,000 cases of this viral disease in Asia every year. Acambis'
proprietary ChimeriVax technology, developed in association
with St Louis University, has also been used to develop ChimeriVax-West
Nile, which is undergoing Phase 2 clinical testing, making it the most
advanced investigational vaccine against the West Nile virus. Acambis
also has the only vaccine in development against Clostridium difficile
bacteria, a leading cause of hospital-acquired infections. Recognised
internationally as the leading producer of smallpox vaccines, Acambis is
developing an investigational smallpox vaccine, ACAM2000, and is
manufacturing emergency-use stockpiles of this investigational vaccine
for the US Government and other governments around the world. It is also
developing an attenuated smallpox vaccine, MVA3000, under contracts with
the US National Institutes of Health.
Acambis is based in Cambridge, UK and Cambridge, Massachusetts, US, and is
listed on the London Stock Exchange (ACM). Its shares are listed on NASDAQ
(ACAM) in the form of American Depositary Receipts. More information is
available at
www.acambis.com.
"Safe Harbor" statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform
Act of 1995:
The statements in this news release that are not historical facts are
forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties,
including the timing and results of clinical trials, product development,
manufacturing and commercialisation risks, the risks of satisfying the
regulatory approval process in a timely manner, the need for and the
availability of additional capital. For a discussion of these and other
risks and uncertainties see "Risk management" in the Company's 2005
Annual Report and "Risk factors" in its Form 20-F, in addition to those
detailed on the Company's website and in the Company's filings made with
the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time. These forward-
looking statements are based on estimates and assumptions made by the
management of Acambis and are believed to be reasonable, though are
inherently uncertain and difficult to predict. Actual results or
experience could differ materially from the forward-looking statements.
This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange