Tokyo, Japan, June 15, 2006 - At a symposium on infectious diseases held in Toyko today, Dr Jaap Goudsmit, Chief Scientific Officer at Dutch biotechnology company Crucell N.V. (Euronext, NASDAQ: CRXL; Swiss Exchange: SW CRX) joined two leading Japanese virologists in highlighting the important challenges and progress of vaccine development in the fight against the 'big three' poverty-related diseases: HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis.

 

The symposium is the second in a series Dr Goudsmit has organized at Tokyo's Royal Netherlands Embassy. The first, held in October 2005, focused on strategies to combat a global influenza pandemic. While international concerns continue to surround the threat of pandemic flu, the combined toll of AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis already exceeds 6 million lives worldwide each year. Crucell is currently engaged in development programs for vaccines to combat each of these infectious diseases.

 

The keynote speakers joining Dr Goudsmit were Dr Yutaka Takebe from the AIDS Research Center of Japan's National Institute of Infectious Diseases (NIID) and Dr Shudo Yamazaki, chairman of the AIDS Vaccine Development Association (NPO). The event was chaired by Dr Tatsuo Miyamura, Director-General of the NIID.

 

"The development of vaccines against the 'big three' diseases is a high priority for the global community," said Dr Miyamura. "The work of companies such as Crucell, in collaboration with supranational organizations, fund providers and governments around the world, is set to make an important contribution to that effort."

 

Both Dr Takebe's and Dr Yamazaki's presentations focused on the rapidly expanding Asian epidemics of HIV/AIDS. Dr Takebe discussed the epidemiology of HIV in Asia, and its implications for vaccine strategies, while Dr Yamazaki's presentation focused on Japanese efforts aimed at the development of vaccines, the best hope for a long-term solution to the global AIDS epidemic.

 

Dr Goudsmit concluded the symposium by emphasizing the importance of vaccine development, not only for AIDS, but also for the equally damaging epidemics of malaria and tuberculosis. He focused on the viability of adenovirus-based vaccines to counter the three diseases, and used the development of a hepatitis B vaccine as a model to emphasize the importance of collaboration between supranational organizations, such as UNAIDS and the World Health Organization (WHO), NGOs such as IAVI and fund providers such as the Gates Foundation.

 

"Asia is set to play a significant role in the fight against these damaging threats to human health, and Crucell places great importance on the maintenance of the relationships we are developing in Japan," Dr Goudsmit added. "Events such as this symposium can only help to build on those relationships, and also serve to strengthen the global collaborative approach so crucial to the development of much-needed vaccines."

 

An audio webcast of Dr Goudsmit's presentation will be available for replay on the Crucell website by the end of June.

 

About Crucell

Crucell N.V. (Euronext, NASDAQ: CRXL; Swiss Exchange: SW CRX) is a biotechnology company focused on research, development and worldwide marketing of vaccines and antibodies that prevent and treat infectious diseases. Its vaccines are sold in public and private markets worldwide. Crucell's core portfolio includes a vaccine against hepatitis B and a virosomal vaccine against influenza. Crucell also markets travel vaccines, such as the only oral anti-typhoid vaccine on the market. The Company has a broad development pipeline, including both early-stage products and products almost ready to go to market. Several Crucell products are based on its unique PER.C6® production technology. The Company licenses this and other technologies to the biopharmaceutical industry. Important partners and licensees include DSM Biologics, sanofi aventis, GSK and Merck & Co. Crucell is headquartered in Leiden (the Netherlands), with subsidiaries in Switzerland, elsewhere in Europe, and in Korea. The Company employs about 900 people. For more information, please visit www.crucell.com.