Dutch biopharmaceutical company Crucell N.V. announced the start of a discovery programme leading to the development and commercialization of a universal respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine. The RSV vaccine will be designed to prevent severe infections with the most common RSV strains in infants and the elderly. This discovery programme is part of the existing strategic collaboration with Johnson & Johnson, through its subsidiary Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., signed in September 2009, to develop innovative products, including antibodies for influenza prevention and treatment.

RSV is the most important cause of viral lower respiratory illness in infants and children. RSV-induced disease is the last of the major paediatric diseases for which no preventive vaccine is available. Current prevention in developed countries is based on the administration of an RSV-neutralizing antibody, which is given to high-risk infants, in particular premature newborns. RSV also induces severe disease in immunocompromized adults and elderly with weak immune systems, for whom the costly antibody is not available.

"Crucell is delighted to work on developing a vaccine against RSV", said Ronald Brus, Crucell chief executive officer. "A vaccine that prevents severe RSV infections and death in infants will be a tremendous advance for the paediatric vaccine field. We expect that an RSV vaccine will be the next frontier in children's vaccines for inclusion in the routine immunization of newborns. Based on our continuously growing experience in the respiratory field, as well as our in-house expertise, we are confident that we can make great strides towards our goal of a best-in-class RSV vaccine."

In September 2009 Johnson & Johnson, through its subsidiary Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., and Crucell entered into a strategic collaboration for the development and commercialization of a universal monoclonal antibody product for the treatment and prevention of influenza A. In addition, the strategic collaboration involves four Innovation programs focusing on the development and commercialization of a universal influenza A vaccine as well as innovative products directed against three other disease targets. Activities for the universal influenza A vaccine started in January. The design of the universal influenza A vaccine will be based on specific epitopes (binding sites) that are recognized by our broadly cross-neutralizing influenza antibodies. The universal RSV vaccine has been selected as the second Innovation program; selection of the two other innovation targets is ongoing.

Crucell N.V. is a global biopharmaceutical company focused on the research, development, production and marketing of vaccines, proteins and antibodies that prevent and/or treat infectious diseases. In 2009 alone, Crucell distributed more than 115 million vaccine doses in more than 100 countries around the world, with the vast majority of doses (97%) going to developing countries. Crucell is one of the major suppliers of vaccines to UNICEF and the developing world.