FORM 6-K
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
Report of Foreign Private Issuer
Pursuant to Rule 13s - 16 or 15d - 16 of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
For the month of December 2005
Acambis plc
(Translation of registrant's name into English)
Peterhouse Technology Park
100 Fulbourn Road
Cambridge CB1 9PT
England
(address of principal executive offices)
(Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual
reports under cover of Form 20-F or Form 40-F
Forms 20-F X Form 40-F
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant by furnishing the information
contained in this Form also thereby furnishing the information to the
Commission pursuant to Rule 12g3-2(b) under the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934).
Yes No X
(if "Yes" is marked, indicate below the file number assigned to the registrant
in connection with Rule 12g3-2(b): 82- ).
Enclosure:
'Acambis delivers MVA doses'
Acambis completes delivery of 500,000 doses of MVA3000 smallpox vaccine to US
Government
Cambridge, UK and Cambridge, Massachusetts - 2 December 2005 - Acambis plc
(Acambis) (LSE: ACM, NASDAQ: ACAM) announces that it has completed the delivery
under contract terms of 500,000 doses of its investigational MVA attenuated
smallpox vaccine, MVA3000, to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious
Diseases ("NIAID"), part of the US National Institutes of Health.
The delivery fulfils a core requirement of the contract that was awarded to
Acambis by the NIAID in September 2004 for the manufacture and development
of an MVA vaccine. Acambis is co-developing MVA3000 with Baxter Healthcare SA
("Baxter"), which produced the 500,000 doses at its facilities
and provides process development and manufacturing services.
CEO Gordon Cameron commented:
"With the delivery of 500,000 doses of MVA3000 to the US Government, we have
cleared the major hurdle of the NIAID's second contract for MVA vaccine. By
achieving this milestone, the Acambis/Baxter team has once again demonstrated
its ability to manufacture and deliver large quantities of critical biodefence
smallpox vaccines. Our proven manufacturing capability for MVA3000 can only
strengthen the proposal we submitted to the US Government for the manufacture of
up to 20 million doses of MVA."
In August, the Department of Health and Human Services issued a Request for
Proposals (RFP) for the manufacture of up to 20 million doses of MVA attenuated
smallpox vaccine and advanced clinical testing up to and including obtaining a
product license for MVA. It also included options for the purchase of up to 60
million additional doses of MVA and "warm-base" manufacturing over the longer
term. Acambis submitted a proposal in response to the RFP in October and the US
Government has indicated that contract award(s) will be made in February 2006.
Enquiries:
Acambis:
Gordon Cameron, Chief Executive Officer
David Lawrence, Chief Financial Officer
Lyndsay Wright, VP, Communications and Investor Relations
Tel: +44 (0) 1223 275 300
Financial Dynamics:
David Yates/Davina Langdale
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7831 3113
About Acambis' NIAID contracts
Acambis has been awarded two contracts by the NIAID for the manufacture and
development of its MVA smallpox vaccine, MVA3000. The first contract, awarded in
February 2003, was for $9.2m. The second, awarded in September 2004, is
potentially worth up to $131m, with a $76m core component requiring clinical
testing and manufacture of 500,000 doses of MVA3000.
About Acambis
Acambis is a leading developer of vaccines to prevent and treat infectious
diseases. Recognised internationally as the leading producer of smallpox
vaccines, Acambis is developing an investigational smallpox vaccine, ACAM2000,
and is manufacturing emergency-use stockpiles of this investigational vaccine
for the US Government and other governments around the world. It is also
developing an attenuated smallpox vaccine, MVA3000, under contracts with the US
National Institutes of Health. Acambis is establishing a travel vaccines
franchise through its US-based subsidiary Berna Products Corporation, which
markets Vivotif(R), the world's only licensed oral typhoid vaccine, in North
America. Acambis has other potential travel vaccines in development and is also
developing an investigational vaccine against the West Nile virus, which has
spread to 48 US States in the last six years.
Acambis is based in Cambridge, UK and Cambridge, Massachusetts, US. Its primary
listing is on the London Stock Exchange (ACM) and its shares are listed in the
form of American Depositary Receipts on NASDAQ (ACAM). More information is
available at www.acambis.com.
"Safe Harbor' statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of
1995:
The statements in this news release that are not historical facts are
forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, including the
timing and results of clinical trials, product development, manufacturing and
commercialisation risks, the risks of satisfying the regulatory approval process
in a timely manner, the need for and the availability of additional capital. For
a discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties see "Risk management" in
the Company's 2004 Annual Report and its Form 20-F, in addition to those
detailed on the Company's website and in the Company's filings made with the
Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time. These forward-looking
statements are based on estimates and assumptions made by the management of
Acambis and are believed to be reasonable, though are inherently uncertain and
difficult to predict. Actual results or experience could differ materially from
the forward-looking statements.
SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
registrant Peptide Therapeutics Group has duly caused this report to be
signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
Date: 02 December 2005 ACAMBIS PLC
By: /s/ Lyndsay Wright
Name: Lyndsay Wright
Title: VP, Communications and IR.