VaxGen Submits Proposal to Produce Up to 75 Million Doses of Anthrax Vaccine; Discontinues Plague Vaccine Program

BRISBANE, Calif. - VaxGen announced today that it has submitted a proposal to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) describing its plan to provide up to 75 million doses of its recombinant anthrax vaccine to the U.S. strategic

national stockpile of biodefense products. The HHS has indicated that it intends to award purchase contracts for such a vaccine on or about Aug. 9, 2004.

VaxGen has already received two contracts from the National Institute of

Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) to develop its recombinant anthrax

vaccine candidate. The contracts are valued at more than $100 million. The

company is also developing an attenuated smallpox vaccine in partnership with

the Chemo-Sero Research Institute (Kaketsuken) of Kumamoto, Japan.

Additionally, VaxGen announced that it has discontinued early-stage

development of a recombinant plague vaccine after the NIAID elected not to

provide research and development funding for this vaccine. The company's

decision will have no effect on the development of its other product

candidates.

VaxGen, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company engaged in the development,

manufacture and commercialization of biologic products for the prevention and

treatment of human infectious diseases. The company is developing preventive vaccines against anthrax and smallpox, and an anthrax monoclonal antibody in collaboration with Avanir Pharmaceuticals.

Source: VaxGen, Inc.