VIENNA, March 31 /PRNewswire/ -- Intercell AG (VSE: ICLL) today announced that it will host a conference call today to discuss the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) approval of IXIARO(R), a new vaccine for the prevention of Japanese Encephalitis (JE). The initial target for use of Intercell's vaccine - the only such product currently manufactured for the U.S. market - will be adult travelers and military personnel who visit or are deployed to affected countries, including India, China, and other parts of Asia.
Please quote "Intercell Call" and an operator will then put you through to the Intercell conference call.
The presentation will be made available on the Intercell website prior to the conference call.
About Japanese Encephalitis
Japanese Encephalitis is a mosquito-borne infection that strikes 30,000 to 50,000 individuals a year, causing 10,000 to 15,000 deaths (both probably an underestimate due to underreporting and other factors). Up to 50 percent of survivors have persistent neurological sequelae. Japanese Encephalitis is the leading cause of viral neurological disease and disability in Asia and the most important viral encephalitis in Asia. The disease is most common in several developing countries in Asia, including India and China. As there is no specific treatment for JE, health care experts recommend vaccination as the only highly effective protection for the millions of travelers and military personnel who live in or travel to areas where the virus circulates.
About IXIARO
Intercell's novel Japanese Encephalitis vaccine is a purified, inactivated vaccine for active immunization against the Japanese Encephalitis virus. The total development time of this vaccine took more than 10 years. The vaccine was developed under a Collaborative Research and Development Agreement with the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, a biomedical research laboratory for the U.S. Department of Defense.
Intercell's Phase III trials for the vaccine found that the vaccine demonstrated excellent immunogenicity against Japanese Encephalitis and an overall clinical safety profile similar to placebo, combined with an excellent local tolerability profile. These data were published in The Lancet in December 2007:
About Intercell AG
Intercell AG is an innovative biotechnology company that designs and develops novel vaccines for the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases with substantial unmet medical needs. Intercell's vaccine to prevent Japanese Encephalitis is the company's first product on the market.
The Company's technology platforms include an antigen-discovery system, two proprietary adjuvants and a novel patch-based delivery system. Based on these technologies, Intercell has strategic partnerships with a number of global pharmaceutical companies, including Novartis, Merck & Co., Inc., Wyeth, Sanofi Pasteur, Kyowa Hakko Kirin and the Statens Serum Institut.
The Company's development pipeline includes Phase II vaccine programs for Pseudomonas (in-house development) and S. aureus, which is being developed with Merck & Co. Inc. The Company's novel Travelers' Diarrhea vaccine patch will enter Phase III testing in 2009. Intercell is also in clinical trials of a vaccine enhancement patch with injected pandemic influenza vaccines (one shot plus patch). In addition, four other products focused on infectious diseases are in pre-clinical development.
Intercell is listed on the Vienna stock exchange under the symbol "ICLL".
For more information, please visit: www.intercell.com
This communication expressly or implicitly contains certain forward-looking statements concerning Intercell AG and its business. Such statements involve certain known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which could cause the actual results, financial condition, performance or achievements of Intercell AG to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Intercell AG is providing this communication as of this date and does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements contained herein as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
CONTACT: Lucia Malfent, Head of Corporate Communications of Intercell AG,
+43-1-20620-1303, LMalfent@intercell.com
Web site: http://www.intercell.com/
