euro adhoc: Intercell AG / other / Intercell’s therapeutic Hepatitis C vaccine safe in combination with standard therapy

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12.12.2006

» Phase II combination trial for therapeutic Hepatitis C vaccine
(IC41) completed. Started in 2003 the study was still conducted
with a not optimized vaccination schedule. » Good safety profile
of IC41, when used concomitantly with standard therapy (Interferon
and Ribavirin) - standard therapy did not show any interference
with the immune response of IC41. In the responders to the
combination treatment (14 patients), vaccine specific T-cell
levels substantially increased as compared to the non-responders
(8 patients) » Proof-of-concept Phase II efficacy study with the new
previously optimized immunization schedule in patients is ongoing
- initial results expected in mid 2007. » The study is the first
step towards potential combination therapy settings where the
meanwhile improved administration scheme of IC41 is available.

Vienna (Austria), December 12, 2006 - Intercell AG (VSE, "ICLL")
announced today that it has completed a Phase II trial for its
therapeutic Hepatitis C vaccine (IC41), where the vaccine was applied
in combination with the standard Hepatitis C therapy (pegylated
Interferon and Ribavirin - PegIFN- RBV) to patients infected with
genotype 1. In the study, the vaccine administration was bound to
the schedule of the first patient trial concluded in 2004 where
route and frequency was still sub-optimal as compared to the
improved induction of pivotal T cells achieved in recently concluded
optimization trial.

In the current clinical trial, chronically infected Hepatitis C
patients receiving standard therapy with PegIFN-RBV were enrolled in
Germany, Austria and in the UK. 22 patients who had an early response
at week 12 to standard therapy received vaccinations with IC41 as an
add-on to standard therapy during the second half of their treatment
(week 28 to 48).

The study proved a good safety profile of IC41 when used
concomitantly with PegINF-RBV. Furthermore, the level of the critical
T-cell response generated was similar to what had been seen in
previous studies in which chronic patients or healthy subjects were
vaccinated with IC41 alone, indicating that there was no apparent
interference of PegIFN-RBV with vaccine immunogenicity. Moreover, it
was observed that critical anti-HCV T-cell responses could only be
measured in the group of non-relapsing patients (14 out of 22),
whereas such responses were absent in the 8 relapsing patients. As
expected, however, an improved relapse rate by the concomitant use of
IC41 could not be demonstrated with statistical significance, given
the use of the non-optimized vaccination schedule.

"Considering the well-known limitations of currently approved
Hepatitis C therapies we are well on track with the development of
our therapeutic vaccine. It was key to demonstrate that IC41 can be
safely administered together with standard therapy, thus enabling the
way to potential future combination therapies", states Alexander von
Gabain, Intercell’s Chief Scientific Officer.

Intercell has recently initiated a Phase II proof-of-concept -
efficacy study in chronic Hepatitis C patients. Here, an optimized
immunization schedule will be applied to patients infected with
genotype 1, who are naïve to treatment. The study aims to show a
significant decline in HCV viral load, which would be a clinical
proof of the mechanism of IC41, and an important milestone to further
advance the development. This is particularly true in genotype 1
patients, where standard therapy achieves a sustained viral response
only in less than half of treated patients.

IC41 - Clinical development strategy

After completion of a first Phase II clinical study in patients not
responding to standard therapy in 2004, the clinical development
program has been extended. A follow-up study has been designed to
further increase the T-cell response, which is the most critical part
of the immune system in the fight against the infection, by
optimizing the route and the frequency of vaccinations.

Results of the optimization clinical trial, which was completed in Q1
2006, indicate that IC41, when given in optimized route and schedule,
is considerably more immunogenic than has previously been shown.
Based on these results, Intercell has started a Phase II
Proof-of-concept study testing IC41 with this optimized schedule in a
further Phase II clinical trial in patients with chronic Hepatitis C.
This study aims to show sustained reductions of HCV-RNA through IC41
stand-alone therapy in a substantial subset of patients. Initial
results of this study are expected in mid 2007.

About Hepatitis C

HCV is a major cause of chronic liver disease, including cirrhosis
and liver cancer. According to the World Health Organization (WHO),
approximately 170 million people worldwide are chronic HCV carriers
(3% of the world’s population), including about 10 million Europeans,
3.9 million Americans and 2 million Japanese. 35,000 new infections
occur in the United States alone each year. The substantial unmet
medical need is underscored by the fact that each year 8,000 to
10,000 deaths and 1,000 liver transplantations in the United States
are due to HCV. Currently, there is no vaccine against Hepatitis C
and the infection can only be treated with a combination of
Interferon and Ribavirin - a long-term therapy with limited efficacy
and substantial side effects. It also gives rise to high treatment
costs for patients. In 2002, worldwide sales of HCV drugs totaled at
around EUR 2.8bn, and demand has since grown significantly. The
market is seen to be expanding to EUR 3.5bn by 2006.

end of announcement euro adhoc 12.12.2006 07:04:28
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ots Originaltext: Intercell AG
Im Internet recherchierbar: http://www.presseportal.de

Further inquiry note:
Intercell AG
Mag. Katharina Wieser
Head of Corporate Communications
Tel. +43 1 20620-303
kwieser@intercell.com

Branche: Biotechnology
ISIN: AT0000612601
WKN: A0D8HW
Börsen: Wiener Börse AG / official market


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