LEIDEN, NETHERLANDS -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 04/05/2006 -- Leiden, April 5, 2006 - Dutch biotechnology company Crucell N.V. (Euronext, NASDAQ: CRXL; Swiss Exchange: SW CRX) announced today that it has reached agreement on the sale of all its shares in the veterinary pharmaceuticals production company Dr. E. Gräub AG. The company will become a subsidiary of VETINVEST GmbH, a German company investing in the field of veterinary medicines.
Dr. E. Gräub was fully owned by the Swiss vaccine company Berna Biotech AG, which was recently acquired by Crucell. Crucell decided to sell this holding, which employs 40 people, as production and sales of veterinary medicines are not among its core activities. This divestment is an important step towards aligning Crucell’s portfolio of activities with its strategic priorities.
The transaction will be formally concluded immediately upon approval by the competent competition authorities. Financial details were not disclosed.
About Crucell
Crucell N.V. (Euronext en 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 vaccines against hepatitis B and virosomal 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 licences 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 1000 people. For more information, please visit www.crucell.com.
Forward-looking statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve inherent risks and uncertainties. We have identified certain important factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in such forward-looking statements. For information relating to these factors please refer to our Form 20-F, as filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on April 14, 2005, and the section entitled “Risk Factors”. The company prepares its financial statements under generally accepted accounting principles in the United States.
For further information please contact:
Crucell N.V. Harry Suykerbuyk Director Investor Relations and Corporate Communications Tel. +31 (0)71 524 8718 h.suykerbuyk@crucell.com
For Crucell in the US: Redington, Inc. Thomas Redington Tel. +1 212-926-1733 tredington@redingtoninc.com
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SOURCE: Crucell N.V.
