GenVec Inc. (GNVC) Achieves First Milestone in Collaboration, Eligible to Receive up to $213.6 Million on Sales
9/14/2010
GAITHERSBURG, Md., Sept. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- GenVec, Inc. (Nasdaq: GNVC) today announced that it has achieved the first milestone in its collaboration with Novartis (NYSE: NVS), related to the development of treatments for hearing loss and balance disorders. The milestone was triggered by the successful completion of certain preclinical development activities.
"Completion of this milestone signifies progress made in moving the potential product toward clinical development," said Dr. Paul Fischer, GenVec's President and Chief Executive Officer. "The rapid completion of this initial milestone in our collaboration with Novartis validates our strategy to work with the best collaborators in the industry. We look forward to reaching additional milestones with Novartis as the program progresses."
About the Collaboration
In January 2010, GenVec entered into a worldwide licensing and collaboration agreement with Novartis to discover and develop novel treatments for hearing loss and balance disorders. Under the terms of the agreement, if certain clinical, regulatory, and sales milestones are met, GenVec is eligible to receive up to $213.6 million, including upfront and milestone payments in addition to royalties on future sales.
About GenVec
GenVec, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company developing novel therapeutic drugs and vaccines. GenVec uses proprietary drug discovery and development technologies to support a portfolio of product programs that address the prevention and treatment of a number of major diseases. In collaboration with Novartis, GenVec is developing novel treatments for hearing loss and balance disorders. GenVec also develops and is evaluating the potential of TNFerade for the treatment of certain cancers and is developing vaccines for infectious diseases including influenza, HIV, malaria, foot-and-mouth disease, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and HSV-2. Additional information about GenVec is available at www.genvec.com and in the Company's various filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Statements herein relating to future financial or business performance, conditions or strategies and other financial and business matters, including expectations regarding future milestone payments, royalties, the development of products and the success of the collaboration with Novartis, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act. GenVec cautions that these forward-looking statements are subject to numerous assumptions, risks and uncertainties, which change over time. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements or historical experience include risks and uncertainties, including the failure by GenVec to secure and maintain relationships with collaborators; risks relating to the early stage of GenVec's product candidates under development; uncertainties relating to clinical trials; risks relating to the commercialization, if any, of GenVec's proposed product candidates; dependence on the efforts of third parties; dependence on intellectual property; and risks that we may lack the financial resources and access to capital to fund our operations. Further information on the factors and risks that could affect GenVec's business, financial conditions and results of operations, are contained in GenVec's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which are available at www.sec.gov. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release, and GenVec assumes no duty to update forward-looking statements.