Crucell and DSM Biologics Announce PER.C6® Licensing Agreement with UMN Pharma

Leiden/Sittard, The Netherlands, March 9, 2006 - Dutch biotechnology company Crucell N.V. (Euronext and NASDAQ: CRXL; Swiss Exchange: SW CRX) and allied contract manufacturer DSM Biologics announced today that they have signed a PER.C6® research license agreement with Japanese pharmaceutical company UMN Pharma. This license agreement allows UMN Pharma to use the PER.C6® cell line in its ’UMN-03’ project, which aims to employ a fusion protein in the treatment of muscular dystrophy and metabolic diseases such as obesity and type II diabetes mellitus.

In addition, Crucell and DSM Biologics will provide UMN Pharma with various services including vector construction, clone generation, process development and cGMP manufacturing, through its own facilities in Groningen, The Netherlands and within the PER.C6® vendor network.

Under the terms of the agreement, UMN Pharma will pay a signing fee and annual maintenance fees. The additional services will also attract fees. Further financial details are not disclosed.

About Crucell
Crucell N.V. (Euronext and NASDAQ: CRXL; Swiss Exchange: SW CRX) is a biotechnology company focused on research, development, production and worldwide marketing of vaccines and antibodies that combat infectious diseases. The vaccines are sold in both private and public sectors. In Crucell’s portfolio hepatitis B vaccines and a virosomal influenza vaccine play an important role. Travel vaccines are also marketed including the only available oral anti-typhoid vaccine. The Company’s well-filled pipeline consists of early and late-stage products. Some of Crucell’s products are based on its unique PER.C6® production technology. The Company also licenses this and other technologies to the biopharmaceutical industry. Important partners and licensees include DSM Biologics, sanofi aventis, GSK and Merck & Co. Crucell is headquartered in Leiden, The Netherlands, has subsidiaries in Switzerland, elsewhere in Europe and Korea, and has approximately 1000 employees. For more information, please visit www.crucell.com.

About DSM Biologics
DSM Biologics, a business unit of DSM Pharmaceutical Products, is a leading provider of manufacturing technology & services to the biopharmaceutical industry. In addition to offering world-class biopharmaceutical manufacturing services, DSM Biologics has co-exclusive rights, along with Dutch biotech company Crucell N.V., to license the high-producing PER.C6® human cell line as a production platform for recombinant proteins and monoclonal antibodies. DSM Biologics’ FDA-approved facility in Groningen, The Netherlands was established in 1986, and has a strong track record in using a broad range of cell lines (PER.C6®, CHO, hybridoma, etc.) in biopharmaceutical manufacturing, and has wide-range of experience using multiple manufacturing (batch, fed-batch and continuous perfusion) and purification techniques. The combination of the PER.C6® human cell line and DSM’s manufacturing services provides companies with a turn-key biologic manufacturing solution reducing cost, risk and time to market. DSM Biologics is represented by Asahi Glass Co. in Japan. For more information, please visit www.dsmbiologics.com.

Crucell’s Licensing Program Disclosure Policy
Crucell believes it has a duty to inform investors about every licensing agreement it reaches with third parties - regardless of the significance of current or future revenue or royalties generated by the agreement. Crucell fulfils this duty by issuing a press release that invariably consists of the name of the contract party, the nature of the license and an indication of the relevant technology or therapeutic area. This ensures that every potential investor or interested party can be fully up-to-date with all licensing agreements made by Crucell with third parties. An overview of all Crucell’s licensees and partners can be found on the Company’s website, including an overview of each relevant product’s phase of development.

Forward-looking statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve inherent risks and uncertainties. We have identified certain important factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in such forward-looking statements. For information relating to these factors please refer to our Form 20-F, as filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on April 14, 2005, and the section entitled “Risk Factors”. The company prepares its financial statements under generally accepted accounting principles in the United States.

Contact Information

Harry Suykerbuyk

Director Investor Relations & Corporate Communications

Crucell N.V.

Contact via E-mail