GlycoVaxyn AG to Host Second Annual Science Day to Discuss Challenges and Opportunities in Vaccine Development

SCHLIEREN, Switzerland, June 15, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- GlycoVaxyn AG, a leader in the development of conjugate vaccines, today announced that it will host its Second Annual Science Day to discuss challenges and opportunities in vaccine development on June 16-17, 2011, in Cannes, France.

"A number of serious bacterial diseases still lack vaccines while antibiotic resistance is growing and the costs for vaccines development is increasing," said Philippe Dro, CEO of GlycoVaxyn. "Setbacks in vaccine development, most recently with Staphylococcus aureus, highlight the challenges facing the vaccine industry and public health professionals. Our science day provides a forum for industry, regulatory and academic thought leaders to address today's challenges and discuss solutions and recent developments in vaccines. This is our second annual science day, following a very successful event last year."

GlycoVaxyn's Second Annual Science Day will include presentations from prominent speakers from the vaccine industry from both sides of the Atlantic. Topics will include recent developments in glycoconjugate technology and the current state-of-the-art of meningococcal and staphylococcal vaccines. A copy of the agenda can be found at Second Annual Science Day.

About Conjugate Vaccines

Conjugate vaccines are largely used to prevent important invasive bacterial diseases such as bacteraemia (bloodstream infection), pneumonia, and meningitis, with the market leader achieving nearly USD3.7 billion in annual sales in 2010. Conjugate vaccines are produced by linking a bacterial sugar antigen to a carrier protein. The current process used to develop and manufacture marketed conjugate vaccines is very complex, variable and expensive. GlycoVaxyn's novel technology allows the synthesis of complex immunogenic bioconjugates in a biological process in E. coli rendering both development and production significantly shorter and more controllable.

About GlycoVaxyn

GlycoVaxyn is developing a portfolio of novel bio-conjugate vaccines against common severe bacterial infections produced with its unique, proprietary in vivo glycosylation platform. With this platform, the company can develop and produce immunogenic glycoproteins in a simplified biological process that circumvents many of the challenges and uncertainties involved in currently used methods. In addition to the clinical stage Shigella vaccine, lead programs in preclinical stage are aimed at the prevention of hospital acquired Staphylococcus aureus infections, as well as pneumococcal invasive diseases and meningococcal group B meningitis. For further information, visit www.glycovaxyn.com.

SOURCE GlycoVaxyn AG