IMVAMUNE Vaccine -- Protection Against Smallpox in Three Days

WASHINGTON and COPENHAGEN -- IMVAMUNE(TM), a third-generation Modified Virus Ankara (MVA) vaccine under development by Bavarian Nordic of Denmark, is expected to be effective against smallpox three days after one vaccination compared to traditional replicating vaccines that only show protection after 10-14 days.

"Based on data from a number of our animal models and clinical trials, Bavarian Nordic expects IMVAMUNE(TM) to be effective and to protect against smallpox infection 3 days after just one vaccination while traditional replicating vaccines only show protection after 10 to 14 days," says Peter Wulff, president and CEO of Bavarian Nordic, presenting today on the status of the company's IMVAMUNE safe smallpox vaccine program at the BIO CEO & Investor Conference in New York City.

The biological mechanism behind traditional replicating smallpox vaccines that are available today or under development, takes time to build up in the body to a level where an immune response can be detected. Traditional replicating smallpox vaccines induce protection over a period of 10 to 14 days after vaccination. In contrast, Bavarian Nordic presented data today showing that a non-replicating MVA vaccine given at a higher injectable dose induces an immune response very quickly, with the added benefit that it is safer than the traditional smallpox vaccines.

In an emergency situation, where protection against smallpox is a top priority, IMVAMUNE has been shown in trials to be both a safer vaccine with a faster-acting onset of action significantly earlier than traditional vaccines.