MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., and PARKVILLE, Australia, June 22 /PRNewswire/ --
Aviron (Nasdaq: AVIR) of Mountain View, California and CSL Limited (ASX: CSL)
of Victoria, Australia, today announced they will collaborate on the
development, sale and distribution of FluMist(TM), Aviron's intranasal
influenza vaccine, in Australia, New Zealand and certain countries in the
South Pacific. Under the Agreement, CSL and Aviron will jointly carry out
additional trials in Australia for Aviron's cold adapted FluMist(TM)
intranasal influenza vaccine.
"We are pleased to be working with CSL, the recognized leader of influenza
vaccine programs in Australia and New Zealand. This partnership brings
together Aviron's vaccine technology and CSL's clinical, regulatory and
marketing expertise which will be important to the success of FluMist(TM) in
the countries covered by the agreement," said J. Leighton Read, M.D., Chairman
and CEO of Aviron. In addition, he said, "This collaboration will be an
important step towards establishing a presence for FluMist(TM) in
international markets."
"CSL is excited by this opportunity because it will fill a clear market
need to provide an influenza vaccine for children and healthy adults due to
the ease of administration. Our alliance with Aviron adds another milestone to
CSL's historical role in bringing vaccines to Australia and the region," said
Brian McNamee, M.D., Chief Executive and Managing Director of CSL.
Under the agreement, CSL will sponsor the marketing application with the
Therapeutic Goods Administration, Australia's equivalent to the FDA. CSL will
have exclusive rights to sell and distribute FluMist(TM) in Australia, New
Zealand and several South Pacific countries. Aviron and CSL will share profits
of FluMist(TM) in the territory based on an undisclosed formula. Aviron will
also benefit from expansion of CSL's current flu vaccine in pediatric and
healthy adult market segments following the approval to market FluMist(TM) in
those countries. In addition, CSL has agreed, under an option agreement, to
grant warrants to Aviron to purchase CSL common stock at pre-defined prices
upon attainment of certain milestones.
Aviron is a biopharmaceutical company based in Mountain View, California
whose strategy is to focus on the prevention of disease. The company's goal is
to develop vaccines which offer cost effective prevention of a wide range of
infections that affect the general population.
The majority of Aviron's products under development are live vaccines
against viral infections. These include influenza, parainfluenza (PIV-3),
cytomegalovirus (CMV), genital herpes (HSV-2) and respiratory syncytial virus
(RSV). Aviron is also developing, in collaboration with SmithKline Beecham
Biologicals, a subunit vaccine against Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) infection, a
major cause of infectious mononucleosis.
CSL Limited develops, manufactures and markets pharmaceutical products of
biological origin. CSL also produces products derived from human plasma,
pharmaceuticals and diagnostics essential to community health, and veterinary
vaccines and diagnostics to protect livestock and companion animals. CSL
Limited reported revenues of $A 318 million for the year ended June 30, 1997.
This press release contains forward looking statements. Actual results may
differ materially from those suggested here. Additional information concerning
factors that could cause such a difference is contained in Aviron's annual
report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1997.
SOURCE Aviron
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CONTACT:
investors, Fred Kurland or Lyn Christenson,
650-919-6500, both of Aviron; or media, John Bluth of
Fleishman-Hillard, 212-453-2000, for Aviron; or Stan McLiesh of
CSL Limited, 61-3-9389-1272
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