“We are actively expanding our international marketing function and intend to invest in a vaccine filling line to ensure security of supply for these customers,” commented Peter Wulff, president and CEO of Bavarian Nordic. “At the same time, we are also moving forward with our cancer vaccine R&D activities at BN ImmunoTherapeutics.”
During 2005, the company expects to initiate several new clinical trials within its Imvamune program. The global clinical development program will be further expanded to include three phase II trials, which will result in the vaccination of more than 2000 persons with Imvamune by the end of the year.
The company also reported that activities are on schedule for the commercial manufacture of its Imvamune smallpox vaccine at the Kvistgard site in Denmark. Production is expected to begin in the summer of 2005.
In a related development, Bavarian Nordic also announced that its production facility in Berlin, Germany has been granted manufacturing authorization to produce clinical-grade GMP materials. The approval allows the company to produce, within its own manufacturing network, large quantities of clinical trial materials for its global development programs, the first priority being for its HIV/AIDS program.