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 February 2007
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:
JE deal with sanofi pasteur
Acambis signs JE partnership agreement with sanofi pasteur
Cambridge, UK and Cambridge, Massachusetts - 14 February 2007 - Acambis plc
(Acambis) (LSE: ACM) announces a partnership agreement with sanofi pasteur, the
vaccines business of the sanofi-aventis Group, for ChimeriVax(TM)-JE, Acambis'
single-dose vaccine against Japanese encephalitis (JE).
Under the agreement, Acambis has granted sanofi pasteur marketing, distribution
and certain manufacturing rights to ChimeriVax-JE worldwide, excluding India and
the Indian subcontinent where Acambis has an existing agreement with Bharat
Biotech International Limited, and also excluding the US, for which sanofi
pasteur has been granted an option. Sanofi pasteur plans to introduce the new
vaccine in Europe and throughout the Asia Pacific region, with particular focus
on the large endemic countries, including Thailand and China.
Acambis will receive royalties on sales and payment for the supply of bulk
manufactured ChimeriVax-JE product. In addition, it will receive upfront and
milestone payments of up to EUR30 million (c. GBP20m) following marketing
authorisation of ChimeriVax-JE in key endemic countries and in the European
Union. Acambis has already established a large-scale manufacturing process at
its facility in Canton, MA, US, from which it will supply sanofi pasteur with
bulk ChimeriVax-JE vaccine.
Gordon Cameron, Chief Executive Officer of Acambis, commented:
"ChimeriVax-JE has the potential to transform the use of JE vaccines. Sanofi
pasteur is a world leader in vaccines and, in our view, the best partner for
ChimeriVax-JE. We are looking forward to working with sanofi pasteur to ensure
our vaccine reaches those who need it."
Dave Williams, Chief Executive Officer of sanofi pasteur, commented:
"Sanofi pasteur will further contribute to the fight against a devastating
disease by bringing Acambis' innovative JE vaccine to endemic countries. We
believe a single-dose vaccine will hold significant advantages for use in
routine immunization programmes in a region where several billion people live."
According to the WHO, approximately 30,000 to 50,000 people suffer from JE
annually, mainly in Asia(1). During a recent epidemic in northern India and
Nepal, JE killed more than 1,000 people, most of them children(2). An estimated
three billion people live in JE-endemic regions, which include Thailand, China,
Japan, India and parts of Australia.
Acambis has published positive data from its pivotal Phase 3 safety trial in
October 2006. Encouraging data from the blinded pivotal Phase 3 efficacy trial
were announced at the same time and the Company intends to publish the unblinded
data in the first quarter of 2007. Clinical results show that Acambis'
ChimeriVax-JE requires only one dose for adequate protection against JE versus
two or three required with other JE vaccines.
-ends-
Enquiries:
Acambis plc
Gordon Cameron, Chief Executive Officer
David Lawrence, Chief Financial Officer
Lyndsay Wright, VP, Communications and IR
Tel: +44 (0) 1223 275 300
Brunswick
Jon Coles / Justine McIlroy / Margherita Lupi
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7404 5959
References:
(1) WHO, Water Related Disease, Japanese encephalitis
www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/diseases/encephalitis/en/
(2) WHO, Regional Office for South-East Asia, Immunization and Vaccine
Development, Japanese encephalitis
www.searo.who.int/en/section1226/section2073.asp
Notes to editors:
About Japanese encephalitis
Japanese encephalitis is a disease caused by a mosquito-borne flavivirus that
affects the membranes around the brain. Most JE virus infections are mild (fever
and headache) or without apparent symptoms but approximately one in 200
infections results in severe disease characterized by rapid onset of high fever,
headache, neck stiffness, disorientation, coma, seizures, spastic paralysis and
death. The case fatality rate can be as high as 60% among those with disease
symptoms. Around 30% of those who survive suffer from lasting damage to the
central nervous system. In areas where the JE virus is common, encephalitis
occurs mainly in young children.
About ChimeriVax-JE
- ChimeriVax-JE is being developed to provide a safe, single-dose JE
vaccine for travellers and those living in JE-endemic regions.
- It is a live, attenuated, injectable vaccine and was developed using
Acambis' proprietary ChimeriVax(TM) technology.
- In November 2006, Acambis announced positive safety results from pivotal
Phase 3 trials of ChimeriVax-JE, as well as promising preliminary results
from the Phase 3 efficacy trials. Additional data from the Phase 3
ChimeriVax-JE efficacy trials are expected during the first quarter of 2007.
- In previous trials, subjects vaccinated with ChimeriVax-JE exhibited an
immune response with long-term memory and a rapid rise in protective
antibodies on exposure to the virus.
- Acambis has recently initiated a Phase 2 paediatric trial in India.
About ChimeriVax
ChimeriVax was developed jointly by Acambis and St Louis University and has been
used by Acambis to develop vaccines against Japanese encephalitis, West Nile and
dengue. Acambis has held an exclusive worldwide licence to the technology
platform from St Louis University since 1997. The technology uses a live,
attenuated strain of the yellow fever virus as a backbone into which elements of
the target virus are introduced to create new "chimeric" viruses as vaccines.
Sanofi pasteur has previously licensed another ChimeriVax-based vaccine from
Acambis, ChimeriVax-Dengue.
About Acambis
Acambis is a leading biotechnology company targeting infectious diseases with
novel vaccines. Acambis' development-stage pipeline includes vaccines that could
either offer improvements over existing products or target unmet medical needs.
As well as ChimeriVax-JE, Acambis' proprietary ChimeriVax technology has also
been used to develop ChimeriVax-West Nile, which is undergoing Phase 2 clinical
testing, making it the most advanced investigational vaccine against the West
Nile virus. Acambis also has the only vaccine in development against Clostridium
difficile bacteria, a leading cause of hospital-acquired infections. 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.
Acambis is based in Cambridge, UK and Cambridge, Massachusetts, US, and is
listed on the London Stock Exchange (ACM). 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 2005 Annual Report and "Risk factors' in 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: 14 February 2007 ACAMBIS PLC
By: /s/ Lyndsay Wright
Name: Lyndsay Wright
Title: VP, Communications and IR.