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Targeted Genetics Corporation
ZAMBIA BEGINS FIRST PREVENTIVE HIV VACCINE TRIAL
Lusaka, Zambia and Seattle, Washington, USA April 26, 2006 The Zambia Emory HIV Research Project
(ZEHRP), the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) and Targeted Genetics Corporation
(Nasdaq: TGEN) today announced the initiation of a clinical trial in Zambia to test the safety and
immunogenicity of tgAAC09, a preventive HIV vaccine.
This is the first preventive HIV vaccine trial to be conducted in Zambia, and will take place at
the Zambia Emory HIV Research Project Center in Lusaka with Dr. Elwyn Chomba acting as the
Principal Investigator. It is an early-stage, multi-national trial, also being conducted at three
sites in South Africa and Uganda.
Zambia is proud today to be among the leading countries in Africa to spearhead the testing of
vaccine candidates, given their great potential for the prevention of HIV/AIDS, said Dr. Elwyn
Chomba, ZEHRP and Principal Investigator for the trial.
IAVI is pleased to be working with the excellent team at ZEHRP. Supported by the government of
Zambia, and in collaboration with the scientific and medical community in Lusaka, the Zambia Emory
HIV Research Project has contributed to HIV/AIDS prevention in the country, said Seth Berkley,
President and CEO of IAVI. The Zambia study, along with other vaccine trials worldwide, will help
us all take the field one step further in our search for a preventive HIV vaccine.
The vaccine candidate, tgAAC09, was developed by Targeted Genetics, based in Seattle. The vaccine
is based on HIV subtype C, the subtype of the virus most prevalent in southern Africa. tgAAC09 is
designed as a preventive vaccine, intended to protect people not infected with HIV from contracting
the disease. It is designed to elicit two different types of immune responses an antibody
response and a cell-mediated response.
Expanding the evaluation of tgAAC09 to another region in need further advances the development of
this vaccine candidate. We continue to be optimistic about the potential of AAV-based vaccines in
the fight against HIV/AIDS and are pleased to be working in partnership with IAVI and ZEHRP in
support of the global effort to halt the HIV pandemic. This is another example of the kind of
international collaboration that is critical to an expedited pursuit of an effective vaccine, said
H. Stewart Parker, President and Chief Executive Officer of Targeted Genetics.
About the Vaccine Candidate
The vaccine candidate, tgAAC09, utilizes a recombinant adeno-associated viral vector (AAV) that was
developed with and manufactured by Targeted Genetics. Under the terms of a public-private
collaboration, IAVI is funding development, pre-clinical and clinical studies to test the vaccine.
The early-stage trial follows positive safety data received from the Phase I trial conducted over
the past two years in Belgium, Germany, and India where volunteers received a lower-dose range.
Targeted Genetics AAV development process is based on a cell line which was designed by Philip R.
Johnson, MD., at the Children s Research Institute on the campus of Children s Hospital, in
Columbus, Ohio, USA. Dr. Johnson is now Chief Scientific Officer at the Children s Hospital of
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
The trial should take about 18 months to complete. At the Lusaka clinical trial site, 16 volunteers
(men and women) who are in good health will be enrolled. IAVI estimates that there are 30
preventive HIV vaccine candidates in human trials on six continents.
The International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) is a global not-for-profit organization working to
accelerate the development of a vaccine to prevent HIV infection and AIDS. Founded in 1996 and
operational in 23 countries, IAVI and its network of collaborators research and develop vaccine
candidates. IAVI also advocates for a vaccine to be a global priority and works to ensure that a
future vaccine will be accessible to all who need it. IAVI s financial and in-kind supporters
include the Bill Melinda Gates Foundation, the New York Community Trust, the Rockefeller
Foundation, the Starr Foundation, the Governments of the Basque Country, Canada, Denmark, the
European Union, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United
States; multilateral organizations such as the World Bank; corporate donors including BD (Becton,
Dickinson Co.), Continental Airlines, DHL and Pfizer; leading AIDS charities such as Broadway
Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, Crusaid, Deutsche AIDS-Stiftung, and the Until There s A Cure Foundation;
other private donors such as the Haas Charitable Trusts; and many generous individuals from around
the world. For more information, see www.iavi.org.
The Zambia Emory HIV Research Project (ZEHRP), located in Lusaka, Zambia. The ZEHRP Ndola and Kitwe
sites located in the Copperbelt and their sister project, Project San Francisco (PSF), located in
Kigali, Rwanda, comprise the Rwanda Zambia HIV Research Group (RZHRG). The organization works with
couples and has ongoing studies to 1) promote couples voluntary counseling and testing (CVCT), 2)
measure the transmission between discordant (one HIV-positive and one HIV-negative) couples
(Heterosexual Transmission study) and 3) assess the contraceptive choices of women (Family Planning
study). The RZHRG sites are also currently participating in a multi-site Phase III clinical trial
assessing the effect of Acyclovir in lowering the transmission of HIV in discordant couples. The
Lusaka site was established in 1994 when Project San Francisco relocated to Zambia during the
Rwandan genocide. ZEHRP boasts three CVCT centres as well as a well-equipped immunology and
clinical laboratory.
About Targeted Genetics
Targeted Genetics Corporation (Nasdaq: TGEN) is a biotechnology company committed to the
development and commercialization of innovative targeted molecular therapies for the prevention and
treatment of inflammatory arthritis, HIV/AIDS and other acquired and inherited diseases with
significant unmet medical need. Targeted Genetics uses its considerable knowledge and capabilities
in the development and manufacturing of gene delivery technologies to advance a diverse product
development pipeline. Its product development efforts target inflammatory arthritis, HIV/AIDS,
congestive heart failure, Huntington s disease and hyperlipidemia. To learn more about Targeted
Genetics, visit its website at www.targetedgenetics.com.
Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995:
This release contains forward-looking statements regarding the data to be collected in this trial,
the establishment or determination of efficacy endpoints from the data collected in the trial, the
timely and complete accrual of patients in the trial and our ability to commercialize tgAAC94, our
expected use of these proceeds and other statements about our plans, objectives, intentions and
expectations. These statements, involve current expectations, forecasts of future events and other
statements that are not historical facts. Inaccurate assumptions and known and unknown risks and
uncertainties can affect the accuracy of forward-looking statements. Factors that could affect our
actual results include, but are not limited to, our ability to obtain, maintain and protect our
intellectual property, our ability to raise capital when needed, our ability to recruit and enroll
suitable trial participants, the timing, nature and results of research and clinical trials,
potential development of alternative technologies or more effective processes by competitors, and,
our ability to obtain and maintain regulatory or institutional approvals,, as well as other risk
factors described in the section entitled Factors Affecting Our Operating Results, Our Business
and Our Stock Price in our report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2005. You should
not rely unduly on these forward-looking statements, which apply only as of the date of this
release. We undertake no duty to publicly announce or report revisions to these statements as new
information becomes available that may change our expectations.
Katherine Moore, IAVI, New York, 212 847 1097 kmoore@iavi.org
Ellena Friedman, IAVI, New York, 212 847 1090/ 646 755 1973 efriedman@iavi.org
Stacie D. Byars, Targeted Genetics, Seattle, 206 521 7392/ 206 660 2588