NIAID Grant to Fund Dynavax Research on Hepatitis B Vaccination and Individual Variations in Human Responsiveness

BERKELEY, CA--(Marketwire - August 31, 2010) -  Dynavax Technologies Corporation (NASDAQ: DVAX) announced today a grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) to take a systems biology approach to study the differences between individuals that do or do not respond to vaccination against the Hepatitis B virus. This study will be one of several projects covered in a five-year, $17.6 million grant to Dr. Jacques Banchereau of the Baylor Institute of Immunology Research in Dallas as part of the Human Immune Phenotyping Centers program. 

According to Dynavax's Chief Scientific Officer, Robert L. Coffman, Ph.D., "HEPLISAV™, our investigational hepatitis B vaccine candidate, has already demonstrated an ability to protect certain patients, for example, the elderly and chronically ill, who are normally less- or non-responsive to conventional vaccines. With this grant, we have the opportunity to study the underlying mechanisms that affect a target population's ability to respond to immunization."

About Dynavax
Dynavax Technologies Corporation, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, discovers and develops novel products to prevent and treat infectious diseases. The Company's lead product candidate is HEPLISAV, an investigational adult hepatitis B vaccine designed to enhance protection more rapidly and with fewer doses than current licensed vaccines. For more information visit www.dynavax.com.

Contact Information:

Contact:
Michael Ostrach
Vice President and Chief Business Officer
510-665-7257