The Government of Canada Procures IMVAMUNE(R) Smallpox Vaccine for the Country's Biological Pr...( KVISTGARD Denmark December 1 /- F...),Health

KVISTGARD, Denmark, December 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Following a Request for Proposal issued in 2007 with the intent to procure an MVA-based, third generation smallpox vaccine, Public Works and Government Services Canada, on behalf of the Canadian Department of National Defence, has awarded a contract to Bavarian Nordic for the delivery of IMVAMUNE(R).

The Canadian authorities intend to use IMVAMUNE(R) as part of the country's bio-preparedness programme.

The contract provides for the delivery of 20,000 doses of IMVAMUNE(R) and payment for the application process to support the use of IMVAMUNE(R) in an emergency under the Canadian Government's Special Access Programme. The delivery will take place in 2009.

The contract also provides for the optional purchase of an additional 180,000 doses of IMVAMUNE(R) as well as payment for investigating the requirements for obtaining a licensure of the vaccine in Canada. Hereby, the Government of Canada and Bavarian Nordic have entered into a long term contract.

The order does not change Bavarian Nordic's previously announced financial guidance for 2008.

Smallpox and the need for a new vaccine

Smallpox is the most dangerous infectious disease ever faced by mankind. Hundreds of millions of people have died from the disease. Today, the smallpox threat may be encountered in various ways: bio-terrorism, synthetically manufactured viruses and outbreak from controlled smallpox stocks.

The old, conventional smallpox vaccines which have been stockpiled around the world are not suited to current needs. They are not safe and may cause severe side effects, even death. These vaccines cannot be given to people who are immune compromised, which constitute approx. 25 % of the population.

IMVAMUNE(R), Bavarian Nordic's new, third generation smallpox vaccine, offers a number of unique advantages compared t
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