Crucell announces Vaccine and Protein Business Unit Structure and Management Appointments
Leiden, The Netherlands, July 18 2007 - Dutch biotechnology company Crucell N.V. (Euronext, NASDAQ: CRXL, Swiss Exchange: CRX) today announced the establishment of two business units for vaccines and proteins. Dedicated business units will enhance the focus on specific opportunities for both product units and will increase transparency to shareholders by separate reporting of financial results. The company plans to report its annual 2007 results along with the new product business units.
Crucell has appointed Mr. Björn Sjöstrand to head the Vaccines Business Unit. Mr. Sjöstrand was CEO of SBL Vaccines, which was acquired by Crucell in November 2006. Crucell has also appointed Mr. Arthur Lahr to head the Protein Business Unit. Mr. Lahr was Crucell’s Chief Strategy Officer and Executive Vice President Sales & Business Development. Both Mr. Sjöstrand and Mr. Lahr will remain members of Crucell’s Management Committee.
To support its ongoing growth-focused strategy, Crucell also announced the appointment of Ms. Oya Yavuz, who joins Crucell as Director of Investor Relations. Ms. Yavuz formerly was Vice President for Investor Relations at Wolters Kluwer N.V.
Dr. Herbert Heyneker, a biotech pioneer, has joined Crucell’s Protein Business Unit as Senior Vice President Research and Development. Dr. Heyneker was formerly Chief Technical Officer of Eos Biotechnology, a functional genomics company he co-founded in 1996. He was involved in founding several life science companies including ProtoGene, GlycoGen and GenPharm International. From 1984 till 1990, he served as Vice President, Research at Genencor International, and in the early 90s he was a Visiting Scholar in the Department of Genetics at Stanford University’s Medical School. He started his career as a post-doc in Herb Boyer’s lab at UCSF between 1975 and 1977. When Boyer and Swanson started Genentech, he joined the Company for the next seven years as a Senior Scientist, where he published pioneering papers on the cloning and microbial expression of human insulin, human growth hormone, urokinase and an IgG1 antibody. He is an inventor on over 30 issued patents. Since 2001 he is an advisor to the Venture Capital Firm Abingworth. Dr. Heyneker holds a PhD degree in Molecular Genetics from Leiden University, The Netherlands.
The company further announced that Mr. Kuno Sommer, Chief Business Officer, will leave the company in September 2007.
Crucell’s CEO Dr. Ronald H.P. Brus said: "Crucell has become a global player in the vaccine industry and has established a significant technology presence in the $ 40 billion protein drug industry. We have now set up dedicated business units with strong leadership to tailor our approach to grow aggressively in these two different but complimentary markets. Additionally, increased transparency in financial results will allow shareholders to follow and value our progress more accurately"
Dr. Brus added: "I would also like to thank Kuno for his many contributions to the company over the years. He has been a valued member of our team, and I wish him all the best in his future endeavors"
About Crucell
Crucell N.V. (Euronext, NASDAQ: CRXL; Swiss Exchange: CRX) is a biotechnology company focused on research, development and worldwide marketing of vaccines and antibodies that prevent and treat infectious diseases. Its vaccines are sold in public and private markets worldwide. Crucell’s core portfolio includes a vaccine against hepatitis B, a fully-liquid vaccine against five important childhood diseases, and a virosome-adjuvanted vaccine against influenza. Crucell also markets travel vaccines, such as the only oral anti-typhoid vaccine, an oral cholera vaccine and the only aluminium-free hepatitis A vaccine on the market. The Company has a broad development pipeline, with several Crucell products based on its unique PER.C6® production technology. The Company 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), with subsidiaries in Switzerland, Spain, Italy, Sweden, Korea and the US. The Company employs over a 1000 people. For more information, please visit www.crucell.com.
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 July 6, 2006, and the section entitled "Risk Factors". The Company prepares its financial statements under generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (US GAAP) and Europe (IFRS).
WebWireID42527
- Contact Information
- Thomas Redington
- For Crucell in the US
- Redington, Inc.
- Contact via E-mail
This news content was configured by WebWire editorial staff. Linking is permitted.
News Release Distribution and Press Release Distribution Services Provided by WebWire.