Promising Data Presented on GenVec Inc. RSV Program

GAITHERSBURG, Md., March 23, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- GenVec, Inc. (Nasdaq: GNVC) announced today that data were presented on GenVec’s respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine program at the “Keystone Symposium on Viral Immunity and Host Gene Influence”, which is taking place in Keystone, Colorado from March 21-26, 2012. The poster titled “Respiratory Syncytial Virus Neutralizing Antibodies Induced by Recombinant Adenovirus Vectors” #116 was presented on March 22, 2012 in Poster Session 1. The data were generated by the VRC and GenVec under a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA). The presentation was given by Man Chen, PhD, Research Fellow, Viral Pathogenesis Laboratory, at the Vaccine Research Center (VRC) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Data presented at the conference demonstrated encouraging preclinical proof-of-concept findings generated in non-human primates. Specifically, the data show GenVec’s vaccine technology induced neutralizing antibody, and significant T-cell responses with a single administration. The immune responses were consistent with protective responses without disease potentiation and multiple administrations increased the neutralizing antibody responses.

“These data clearly demonstrate in a primate model that a vaccine utilizing our technology has significant potential to prevent RSV,” stated Jason Gall, PhD, Senior Director of Research at GenVec and the company’s lead RSV scientist. “These data support continued development of our pipeline of infectious disease vaccines based on our viral vector technology.”

About Respiratory Syncytial Virus

RSV is the single most important viral cause of lower respiratory infections in infants and young children and there is no approved vaccine. According to the World Health Organization, nearly all U.S. children have been infected with RSV by two years of age. Although RSV infection usually produces cold-like symptoms, the infection can result in severe lower respiratory tract infection, which causes up to 130,000 pediatric hospitalizations per year in the U.S. RSV also causes repeated infections throughout life, placing the elderly and individuals with compromised cardiac, pulmonary, or immune systems at risk for severe disease. Among the institutionalized elderly, it is estimated there are about 15,000 deaths annually from RSV.

About GenVec

GenVec is a biopharmaceutical company using differentiated, proprietary technologies to create superior therapeutics and vaccines. A key component of our strategy is to develop and commercialize our product candidates through collaborations. GenVec is working with leading companies and organizations such as Novartis, Merial, and the U.S. Government to support a portfolio of product programs that address the prevention and treatment of a number of significant human and animal health concerns. GenVec’s development programs address therapeutic areas such as hearing loss and balance disorders; as well as vaccines against infectious diseases including respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), herpes simplex virus (HSV), dengue fever, malaria, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). In the area of animal health we are developing vaccines against foot-and-mouth disease (FMD). Additional information about GenVec is available at www.genvec.com and in the Company’s various filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Statements herein relating to future financial or business performance, conditions or strategies and other financial and business matters, including expectations regarding funding, grants, collaborations, revenues, cash burn rates, the development of products and the success of the Company’s collaborations, including with Novartis and Merial, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act. GenVec cautions that these forward-looking statements are subject to numerous assumptions, risks and uncertainties, which change over time. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements or historical experience include risks and uncertainties, including the failure by GenVec to secure and maintain relationships with collaborators; risks relating to the early stage of GenVec’s product candidates under development; uncertainties relating to research and development activities; risks relating to the commercialization, if any, of GenVec’s proposed product candidates; dependence on the efforts of collaborators and third parties; dependence on intellectual property; currently unanticipated expenses, and risks that we may lack the financial resources and access to capital to fund our operations. Further information on the factors and risks that could affect GenVec’s business, financial conditions and results of operations, are contained in GenVec’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which are available at www.sec.gov. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release, and GenVec assumes no duty to update forward-looking statements.

SOURCE GenVec, Inc.