Acambis Revenue Doubles As Holders Mull Sanofi Offer
Thursday August 7th, 2008 / 10h40
By Jason Douglas OF DOW JONES NEWSWIRES LONDON -(Dow Jones)- U.K. biotech Acambis PLC (ACM.LN), which is the subject of a recommended takeover offer from Sanofi-Aventis's (SNY) vaccine division, Sanofi Pasteur, Thursday reported a doubling of first half revenue and said it's due to start trials of a promising vaccine for the hospital superbug, clostridium difficile, in the fourth quarter. Cambridge-based Acambis said revenue for the six months to June 30 rose to GBP8.8 million from GBP3.4 million a year earlier, thanks to payments received from Sanofi Pasteur related to its Japanese encephalitis and West Nile virus vaccines and from its $425 million, 10-year contract with the U.S. government to provide a vaccine against smallpox. Net loss narrowed to GBP12.3 million, or 10.6 pence a share, from GBP19.6 million in the first half of 2007. Acambis previously said it was seeking to partner its experimental pandemic flu vaccine in the second half but has now scrapped those plans after receiving the 190 pence per share offer from Sanofi Pasteur, valuing the company at GBP267 million. Early stage trials of its clostridium difficile vaccine will begin in the fourth quarter, and it's also nearing completion of a phase II trial of its West Nile vaccine, the company said. Sanofi Pasteur is due to start a trial of a vaccine against dengue fever, it added. With several products already partnered with Sanofi Pasteur, Acambis's eventual acquisition by its senior partner was widely anticipated. The deal also marked a rare piece of good news for investors in the beleaguered U.K. biotechnology sector, which has been beset with trial disappointments like those suffered by Renovo Group PLC (RNVO.LN), Oxford Biomedica PLC (OXB.LN) and Alizyme PLC (AZM.LN), and the demise of firms including Ardana PLC (ARA.LN) and Phoqus Pharmaceuticals PLC (PQS.LN). At 0911, shares in Acambis were down 0.25 pence, or 0.1%, at 186.25 pence. The stock has advanced 73% over the past 12 months. Company Web site: http://www.acambis.com -By Jason Douglas, Dow Jones Newswires; 44-20-7842-9272; jason.douglas@dowjones.com Click here to go to Dow Jones NewsPlus, a web front page of today's most important business and market news, analysis and commentary: http://www.djnewsplus.com/al?rnd=2wyYaVwLOIgDkadHhfCsKQ%3D%3D. You can use this link on the day this article is published and the following day.
Sanofi-Aventis est le 1er groupe pharmaceutique europ éen. Le CA par famille de produits se répartit comme suit :
- produits pharmaceutiques (89,6%)...
