Our history

Biotechnology pioneer
Crucell’s roots lie in a small biotech company called IntroGene, which was founded in 1993 in the Dutch city of Leiden. IntroGene researchers collaborated with scientists from Leiden University to invent and develop the PER.C6® technology, the first manufacturing platform based on a human cell line. In 2000, IntroGene teamed up with another Dutch biotech company: U-BiSys, the inventor and developer of MAbstract® technology, an innovative and highly efficient approach to the discovery of monoclonal antibodies. The union of these two biotech pioneers created Crucell—a research-based company born with the new millennium.
 
Global biopharmaceutical company
Crucell embarked on a larger mission in 2006, when it acquired the Swiss vaccine maker Berna Biotech and SBL Vaccines of Sweden—two companies with their own long histories of innovation and strong portfolios of excellent products. With these acquisitions, Crucell became the largest independent vaccine company in the world and was able to expand its efforts to develop breakthrough therapies for infectious diseases. Revenues generated by Crucell’s vaccine sales and technology licenses fueled development of the company’s R&D pipeline.

In 2008, Crucell initiated The Crucell Ambition, a global corporate strategy designed to fully integrate the historically different parts of the organization and optimize the company’s ability to make a significant difference to the health of people worldwide. The Crucell Ambition focused on capturing synergies, streamlining operations and building on the values uniting Crucell employees around the world. The global rebranding of Crucell’s products and activities in November 2009 reflects and reinforces this process of integration. It marks the start of a new era for Crucell as a global force in healthcare.
 
Increasing our impact
In October 2009, Crucell was proud to announce that it will be supported in this mission by Johnson & Johnson, the world’s largest healthcare company. The two companies signed a strategic agreement aimed at the discovery, development and commercialization of antibody products and vaccines for the prevention and/or treatment of both infectious and noninfectious diseases.

The agreement ensures full funding through to commercialization of Crucell’s flu-mAb product, a potentially revolutionary approach to influenza control (see R&D). It also provides funding for new discovery programs targeting new therapeutic innovations, including a universal influenza vaccine. Crucell is delighted to have a partner that shares its passion for true advances in healthcare—innovations that bring real benefit to the lives of people worldwide.

Milestones

1980s | 1990s | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 |

1898

• Foundation of Berna Biotech as Swiss Serum and Vaccine Institute

1909

• SBL Vaccin founded as State Medical Institution in Stockholm, Sweden

1981

• Berna Biotech registers Vivotif^®, the first live-attenuated vaccine for oral immunization against typhoid fever

1987

• Berna Biotech registers MoRu-Viraten^®, the vaccine for protection against measles and rubella

1989

• Berna Biotech receives FDA license in the United States for Vivotif^® in the United States, the only oral anti-typhoid vaccine

1991

• SBL Vaccin achieves registration in Sweden of Dukoral^®, the only oral vaccine with documented efficacy against diarrhea caused by cholera

1993

• Foundation of Introgene, Crucell’s predecessor. Introgene partners with Genzyme to collaborate on IntroGene vector technology and viral-based products
• Berna Biotech registers Epaxal^®, the first virosomal aluminum-free vaccine for active immunization against hepatitis A

1995

• IntroGene develops PER.C6^® technology in full collaboration with Leiden University
• SBL Vaccin registers Dukoral^® for the entertoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) indication 

1996

• U-Bisys founded and develops MAbstract^® technology to derive fully human antibodies specifically against diseased cells

1997

• IntroGene launches PER.C6^® technology for commercial production of gene-based therapies
• Berna Biotech registers Inflexal^® V, the first trivalent virosomal vaccine for active immunization against influenza

1999

• IntroGene expands PER.C6^® technology into new fields: development of vaccines, therapeutic proteins and monoclonal antibodies
• Galapagos founded as a joint venture between Introgene and Tibotec

2000

• IntroGene acquires U-Bisys to form Crucell
• Crucell N.V. successfully listed on Euronext and NASDAQ under ticker symbol CRXL. The IPO raises € 144 million

2001

• Crucell introduces AdVac^® technology for development of new and more effective vaccines

2002

• Berna Biotech acquires Rhein Biotech; inlcuding Korean manufacturing facilities, hepatitis B franchise and Asian markets
• DSM Biologics and Crucell announce alliance for industrial-scale development and production of recombinant proteins and monoclonal antibodies

2003

• Crucell adjusts its strategy to focus on developing products to combat infectious and other diseases
• Crucell and sanofi pasteur enter a strategic agreement to develop and commercialize novel PER.C6^® cell-based influenza vaccines

2004

• Crucell acquires ChromaGenics and its STAR^® technology to strengthen its strategic position in protein production technology
• First PER.C6^®-based product reaches the market, as West Nile virus veterinary vaccine for geese is granted market approval in Israel
• Crucell and DSM alliance achieves first milestone and signs 8 PER.C6^® research license agreements for protein production
• SBL Vaccin registers Dukoral^® in the European Union

2005

• Crucell’s strategic partner sanofi pasteur is awarded $ 97 million contract by US Government to accelerate licensure in the USA of a PER.C6^®-based cell-culture influenza vaccine and vaccine manufacturing facility
• Crucell and the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) sign € 21.4 million Ebola vaccine manufacturing contract
• Galapagos raises € 22.4 million through its IPO on Euronext Brussels and Euronext Amsterdam stock exchanges. Crucell retains a 10% holding in Galapagos Genomics B.V.
• Crucell raises € 52.2 million through new ordinary shares offering
• Harvard and Crucell receive a $19.2 million NIH grant to develop next-generation AdVac^®-based vaccines
• Crucell and DSM strengthen and expand PER.C6^® protein and monoclonal antibody licensing business. New joint R&D centers to be located in the Netherlands and US East Coast

2006

• Crucell successfully completes public offer for Berna Biotech AG to form the leading independent vaccine company
• Crucell starts trading shares on SIX Swiss Exchange
• Crucell announces product approval in Korea for Quinvaxem^® vaccine
• Crucell and DSM announce establishment of PERCIVIA PER.C6^® R&D center in Boston area. The partnership also initiates PER.C6^® licensing business Vendor Network for monoclonal antibodies and recombinant proteins

• Crucell announces WHO prequalification for Quinvaxem^® vaccine

• Crucell announces acquisition of US-based Berna Products Corporation

• Crucell successfully completes the acquisition of SBL Vaccin AB in Sweden

2007

• Crucell’s West Nile vaccine demonstrates excellent safety and tolerability in Phase I study

• Crucell’s rabies antibody combination shows safety and ability to protect following Phase I study
• Fast–track status granted by FDA for rabies antibody combination
• Positive cash flow
• Record antibody production yields of 15 grams per liter on PER.C6^®

2008

• Profitability for the year 2008
• Additional contracts Quinvaxem^® and Hepavax-Gene^® bring total to $0.5 billion for the period 2007-2009
• Hepavax-Gene^® approved in China
• Flu antibody outperforms oseltamivir
• Rabies antibody combination and tuberculosis vaccine enter Phase II
• Important advances made in antibody production using PER.C6^® technology
• Record yield of over 27 g/L of an antibody product achieved on PER.C6^®
• First PER.C6^® licensee entered Phase III

2009

• Crucell announces profits for full year 2008
• Discovery of revolutionary antibody for universal therapy against flu
• MVI and Crucell announce collaboration on new malaria vaccine approach
• New awards of $300 million for Quinvaxem^®, bringing total value up to $800 million
• NIH Award for the development of influenza monoclonal antibodies
• Strategic collaboration with Johnson & Johnson