Oral grass pollen vaccine Grazax

Press release September 26 2006

Grazax(R) Tablet-Based Vaccine Against Grass Pollen Allergy Approved in Europe
Authorities in 27 European countries approved ALK-Abelló's tablet-based vaccine against grass pollen allergy, Grazax® - the first allergy tablet to address the underlying cause of the disease.

Further information at http://www.wansford.co.uk/grazax/

ALK-Abelló expects to launch the innovative and convenient treatment on the first European markets by the end of 2006, ahead of the 2007 pollen season.

HØRSHOLM, DENMARK -- -- ALK-Abelló completed the European Mutual Recognition Procedure for Grazax, the company's tablet-based vaccine against grass pollen allergy, and authorities in 27 European countries have now approved the tablet treatment The Swedish authorities approved GRAZAXGrazax® in March 2006. The approval now also covers Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom..
"We are very pleased to complete the European Mutual Recognition Procedure with such a positive result. This is a decisive step towards the launch of Grazax. We now look forward to ensuring many more grass-allergic patients in Europe benefit from Grazax treatment, with reduced allergy symptoms and improved quality of life," says Jens Bager, CEO of ALK-Abelló A/S.

Grazax treats the cause of allergyGrazax is the first allergy tablet that improves patients' quality of life by treating the underlying cause of grass pollen allergy and not just the symptoms. Clinical studies show that Grazax has a good safety profile and provides significant efficacy within the first season of treatment. In a global evaluation of patients' perceptions of efficacy of Grazax® treatment, 82 percent of the patients felt 'better' or 'much better' in the first season of treatment, compared with the previous pollen seasons.
Grass pollen allergy is a health problem representing a significant social burden. At least 45 million people in Europe suffer from grass pollen allergy in the shape of allergic rhinitis (hay fever) or allergic asthma – or both.

The majority of patients are only offered symptomatic medications that do not treat the allergy itself. According to a survey conducted by the European Federation of Allergy and Airway Diseases Patients Associations (EFA), 70% of allergic patients feel that allergy limits their quality of life, and 60-68 percent perceive symptomatic medications to be in the range of 'not at all effective' to 'moderately effective' on individual symptoms.
For patients, Grazax is an innovative and convenient treatment formulated as fast-dissolving once-a-day sublingual tablets that can be taken at home. This convenient formulation means that many more patients are expected to be offered the possibility of a medicine that treats the underlying cause of their allergy.

ALK-Abelló expects to launch Grazax on the first European markets by the end of 2006, ahead of the 2007 pollen season. These launches may commence immediately upon receipt of local marketing authorizations and following finalization of price and subsidy negotiations with the respective authorities. The timing of this process will vary from country to country.
Grazax® is a trademark owned by ALK-Abelló A/S.

Further information at http://www.wansford.co.uk/grazax/