Active Biotech in collaboration with Aventis Pasteur MSD regarding distribution and marketing of vaccines in Sweden

Active Biotech in collaboration with Aventis Pasteur MSD regarding distribution and marketing of vaccines in Sweden Active Biotech AB, through its subsidiary SBL Vaccin AB, and Aventis Pasteur MSD announce that they will initiate a collaboration regarding marketing and distribution of vaccines, and will now start a close collaboration on the Swedish market. Aventis Pasteur MSD is a leading vaccine company in Europe, exclusively specialised in vaccines. SBL Vaccin Distribution is the market leader in Sweden, with the distribution of vaccines to 8 000 customers, including county councils and vaccination centres. In the business agreement soon to be executed, SBL Vaccin Distribution will distribute in Sweden Aventis Pasteur MSD´s vaccines. Although the long term collaboration is subject to the signing of a formal agreement, SBL Vaccin Distribution will start its activities already on April 1, 2001. Through SBL Vaccin Distribution, specialised in direct distribution to end customer, a complete range of vaccines will be available. In addition, SBL Vaccin will market and sell in Sweden Aventis Pasteur MSD´s travel vaccines and certain selected adult vaccines. The collaboration signifies an additional focus on the field of travel vaccines, where SBL Vaccin already has a strong presence through the marketing of Dukoral, a vaccine for protection against tourist diarrhoea caused by enterotoxinforming E.coli (ETEC). Aventis Pasteur MSD's Nordic organisation will continue marketing its children- and adult vaccines. Aventis Pasteur MSD has a strong tradition in providing the Swedish market with paediatric vaccines in line with the national vaccination program. "Through this agreement, we get the opportunity to fully exploit our market and distribution organisations within SBL Vaccin, especially within the field of travel vaccines, which is an area with great growth potential. Furthermore, by distributing Aventis Pasteur MSD´s complete range of products, with estimated sales of 60 MSEK in 2000, we can maintain and develop SBL Vaccin Distribution´s strong position on the market", says Sven Andréasson, President & CEO Active Biotech. "We look forward to this collaboration with Active Biotech. SBL Vaccin is a strong and well established vaccine company and a well known tradename, especially on the Swedish market. The close collaboration gives us an opportunity to increase our presence on this market and to achieve a growing market share within the area of travel vaccines, in particular" says Didier Hoch, President of Aventis Pasteur MSD. This collaboration is in line with Active Biotech´s overall partner strategy. As earlier communicated, Active Biotech signed a collaboration agreement with Aventis Pasteur´s international organisation in August 2000. This agreement encompasses the marketing, distribution and sales internationally of Active Biotech´s drinkable vaccine against cholera, SBL Cholera Vaccine and the travel vaccine Dukoral, in certain areas outside EU/USA. Lund 23 March 2001 Active Biotech AB (Publ) Sven Andréasson President & CEO Aventis Pasteur MSD is the European vaccine expert and distributes the most complete range of vaccines and vaccine combinations for infants, adolescents, adults and travellers. With 8 offices (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom) and through distribution agreements, Aventis Pasteur MSD is present in 19 European countries. Aventis Pasteur MSD is jointly owned by Aventis Pasteur (France) and Merck & Co., Inc. (United States). In 2000, Aventis Pasteur MSD achieved a turnover of 594 million euros. Active Biotech AB is a biotechnology company focusing on research and development of medicines and vaccines. Our expertise lies in the knowledge of the human immune defence system. We have a high-quality project portfolio and financial strength. The most important products and projects are medicines for multiple sclerosis (SAIK) and cancer (TTS), the SBL Cholera Vaccine, and Dukoral and ETEC vaccines against tourist diarrhoea. Active Biotech's turnover was MSEK 280 in 2000. Active Biotech AB Box 724, SE-220 07 Lund, Sweden Tel: +46 (0)46-19 20 00 Fax: +46 (0)46-19 20 50 e-mail info@activebiotech.com ------------------------------------------------------------ This information was brought to you by BIT http://www.bit.se The following files are available for download: http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2001/03/23/20010323BIT00730/bit0002.doc http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2001/03/23/20010323BIT00730/bit0002.pdf