US Government Awards Contract to Bavarian Nordic for the Development of Freeze-Dried IMVAMUNE Smallpox Vaccine

20-11-2009: Bavarian Nordic A/S announced that BARDA (Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority) has awarded a new contract to Bavarian Nordic for the development of a freeze-dried version of its IMVAMUNE(R) smallpox vaccine with a total prospective value ofUSD 40 million.

The contract provides funds to validate the new freeze-dried manufacturing process and the associated pre-clinical and clinical studies to support the advanced development of a freeze-dried version of IMVAMUNE(R). The base year funding represents 33% of the total contract value, followed by four additional years of optional funding, which are triggered by the completion of pre-determined technical milestones. These freeze-dried development activities will be performed in parallel to the licensure activities of the current liquid-frozen IMVAMUNE(R) formulation under the RFP-3 contract.

With this contract, the US Government has to-date awarded contracts to Bavarian Nordic for the development and procurement of IMVAMUNE(R) worth more thanUSD 680 million. Under the ongoing RFP 3 contract, Bavarian Nordic will deliver 20 million doses of IMVAMUNE(R) in the current liquid-frozen formulation. Once the contract option for an additional 60 million doses is expectedly exercised, these vaccines will be delivered in the liquid-frozen formulation as well. Thus, the new contract will have no influence on the ongoing contracts, but represents an additional business opportunity and will expectedly constitute the gateway towards securing additional contracts for this new freeze-dried version with the US Government and outside the US as well.