Altravax, Inc. Awarded $1.2 Million to Advance Dengue Vaccine and Hepatitis Therapeutic

MolecularBreeding™ technology platform offers new
approach to vaccines

FARGO, N.D. & SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Altravax, Inc. announced today that it has been awarded two Advanced
Technology Small Business Innovation Research grants from the NIH’s
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for research on
vaccines to prevent infection by dengue virus and to treat chronic
hepatitis B. Each of these viruses is a global problem and the focus of
Altravax’s two lead commercial programs.

“These awards further validate the strength of our vaccine technology,”
said Michael Chambers, interim CEO of Altravax. Chambers noted Altravax
has received over $4.5 million in non-dilutive funding in recent months,
which will be instrumental in bringing these critical products closer to
market.

Infection by dengue virus is a leading cause of illness and death in the
tropics and subtropics where more than one-third of the world’s
population is at risk. Dengue hemorrhagic fever is a potentially lethal
complication of infection that affects mainly children. Although dengue
is rare in the continental United States, it is endemic in Puerto Rico,
and in many popular tourist destinations in Latin America and Southeast
Asia. Altravax will use its MolecularBreeding™ directed evolution
technology to create vaccines that provide broad protection against all
strains of the dengue virus.

Recent estimates suggest that the prevalence of chronic hepatitis B in
the United States alone may be as high as 2.2 million. Although
treatment options are available, a new vaccine offers the potential of a
long-lasting solution in comparison to the sustained use of existing
medications. Altravax has created novel vaccine candidates with its
MolecularBreeding™ technology that are more potent than those used in
previous studies. The current NIH funding will support additional
testing of these candidates in preparation for clinical evaluation.

“The award of these two Small Business Innovation Research grants
validates the importance of our efforts,” said Dr. Robert Whalen, the
Chief Scientific Officer at Altravax and the leader in vaccine
development using MolecularBreeding™ technology. “We are very grateful
for the NIH’s support of our research and development of these two
important problems in infectious diseases.”

In January 2010, Altravax acquired from Maxygen, Inc. (Nasdaq: MAXY)
exclusive rights to the MolecularBreeding™ technology platform for the
development of vaccines to infectious diseases, along with the
therapeutic hepatitis B vaccine platform. Altravax subsequently acquired
the rights to the dengue vaccine program in April 2011.

Altravax, Inc. is a privately held biopharmaceutical company with
headquarters in Fargo, ND and research laboratories in Sunnyvale, CA.
Altravax was founded based on the strength of a proven technology
platform that can produce novel vaccine candidates with the potential to
protect humans from infectious diseases and improve health globally.

Altravax, Inc.Michael Chambers, 701-232-3521michael.chambers@altravax.com

Source: Altravax, Inc.