Media Release issued by Chiron Corporation
12 January 2004
Chiron scales up production of new meningococcal B vaccine for New Zealand
- Vaccination campaign planned for 2004
EMERYVILLE, Calif., January 12, 2004 — Chiron Corporation (NASDAQ: CHIR) today announced that it has successfully scaled up manufacturing for its new group B meningococcal disease vaccine for New Zealand, MeNZB™. Working in close collaboration with the New Zealand government, Chiron has developed the vaccine specifically to protect against the meningococcal B strain that has been responsible for a 13-year meningococcal disease epidemic in the country. No vaccine is currently on the market to protect against this specific strain.
“The close work of the combined Chiron Vaccines and New Zealand government team has enabled us to produce a new vaccine in under half the time usually required,” said John Lambert, president, Chiron Vaccines. “Since the beginning of the outbreak in 1991, this insidious disease has affected more than 5,300 New Zealanders, killing more than 200 and leaving hundreds more seriously disabled. Our assistance to the New Zealand government builds upon our leadership position in preventing meningococcal disease, established with our participation with Menjugate™ in the United Kingdom’s successful campaign against meningococcal C disease.”
Following a July 2001 initial agreement with the New Zealand Ministry of Health to develop a strain-specific meningococcal vaccine for New Zealand, Chiron has successfully produced several small-scale batches of vaccine and worked with New Zealand’s University of Auckland and Ministry of Health to complete a number of clinical studies. The results from the trials demonstrate that the vaccine has a good safety profile and generates strong immune responses in the target age groups. Running in parallel with the testing program, Chiron has scaled up production to industrial levels. Subject to regulatory approval, the nationwide vaccination campaign is planned to start in South Auckland in mid-2004.
“While there is still a lot of work to be done before we can begin the proposed immunization program to protect young New Zealanders from this devastating disease, the successful up-scaling of the vaccine is a significant milestone and has been a significant boost to everyone working on the project,” said Annette King, New Zealand’s minister of health. “We value the efforts that Chiron Vaccines has taken to make the vaccine available as soon as possible.”
About Meningococcal Disease
Meningococcal disease results from infection caused by the bacterium Neisseria meningitidis, known as meningococcus. Meningococcal disease usually affects the membranes around the brain and spinal cord or the bloodstream, causing meningitis or septicemia, respectively. Meningococcal disease can result in brain damage, blindness, deafness, limb amputations and death. Infection may be fatal even if diagnosed properly, making prevention essential.
About Chiron Vaccines
Chiron Vaccines, the world’s fifth-largest vaccines business, is headquartered in Oxford, United Kingdom, and has facilities located throughout Europe, the United States and Asia. Chiron Vaccines is the world’s second-largest manufacturer of flu vaccines and has important meningitis, pediatric and travel vaccine franchises. Chiron Vaccines is the leading vaccine manufacturer in the United Kingdom, Germany and Italy. The company’s portfolio of products includes vaccines for influenza, meningitis C, yellow fever, rabies, tick-borne encephalitis, haemophilus influenzae B (Hib), polio, mumps, measles and rubella (MMR) and diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (whooping cough).
About Chiron
Chiron Corporation, headquartered in Emeryville, California, is a global pharmaceutical company that leverages a diverse business model to develop and commercialize high-value products that make a difference in people’s lives. The company has a strategic focus on cancer and infectious disease. Chiron applies its advanced understanding of the biology of cancer and infectious disease to develop products from its platforms in proteins, small molecules and vaccines. The company commercializes its products through three business units: BioPharmaceuticals, Vaccines and Blood Testing. For more information about Chiron, visit the company’s website at www.chiron.com.
This news release contains forward-looking statements, including statements regarding sales growth, product development initiatives, new product indications, and new product marketing, that involve risks and uncertainties and are subject to change.
A full discussion of the company’s operations and financial condition, including factors that may affect its business and future prospects, is contained in documents the company has filed with the SEC, including the form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2003, and the form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2002, and will be contained in all subsequent periodic filings made with the SEC.
These documents identify important factors that could cause the company’s actual performance to differ from current expectations, including the outcome of clinical trials, regulatory review and approvals, manufacturing capabilities, intellectual property protections and defenses, stock-price and interest-rate volatility, and marketing effectiveness.
In particular, there can be no assurance that Chiron will increase sales of existing products, successfully develop and receive approval to market new products, or achieve market acceptance for such new products. In addition, the company may engage in business opportunities, the successful completion of which are subject to certain risks, including shareholder and regulatory approvals and the integration of operations.
Consistent with SEC Regulation FD, we do not undertake an obligation to update the forward-looking information we are giving today.
Note: MeNZB and Menjugate are trademarks of Chiron Corporation. |