Active Biotech in collaboration with Aventis Pasteur MSD regarding distribution and marketing of vaccines in Sweden

3/23/2001 7:06 AM EST

Active Biotech in collaboration with Aventis Pasteur MSD regarding
distribution and marketing of vaccines in Sweden

Active Biotech AB, through its subsidiary SBL Vaccin AB, and Aventis
Pasteur MSD announce that they will initiate a collaboration regarding
marketing and distribution of vaccines, and will now start a close
collaboration on the Swedish market.

Aventis Pasteur MSD is a leading vaccine company in Europe, exclusively
specialised in vaccines.

SBL Vaccin Distribution is the market leader in Sweden, with the
distribution of vaccines to 8 000 customers, including county councils
and vaccination centres.

In the business agreement soon to be executed, SBL Vaccin Distribution
will distribute in Sweden Aventis Pasteur MSD´s vaccines. Although the
long term collaboration is subject to the signing of a formal agreement,
SBL Vaccin Distribution will start its activities already on April 1,
2001. Through SBL Vaccin Distribution, specialised in direct
distribution to end customer, a complete range of vaccines will be
available.

In addition, SBL Vaccin will market and sell in Sweden Aventis Pasteur
MSD´s travel vaccines and certain selected adult vaccines.

The collaboration signifies an additional focus on the field of travel
vaccines, where SBL Vaccin already has a strong presence through the
marketing of Dukoral, a vaccine for protection against tourist diarrhoea
caused by enterotoxinforming E.coli (ETEC).

Aventis Pasteur MSD's Nordic organisation will continue marketing its
children- and adult vaccines. Aventis Pasteur MSD has a strong tradition
in providing the Swedish market with paediatric vaccines in line with
the national vaccination program.

"Through this agreement, we get the opportunity to fully exploit our
market and distribution organisations within SBL Vaccin, especially
within the field of travel vaccines, which is an area with great growth
potential. Furthermore, by distributing Aventis Pasteur MSD´s complete
range of products, with estimated sales of 60 MSEK in 2000, we can
maintain and develop SBL Vaccin Distribution´s strong position on the
market", says Sven Andréasson, President & CEO Active Biotech.

"We look forward to this collaboration with Active Biotech. SBL Vaccin
is a strong and well established vaccine company and a well known
tradename, especially on the Swedish market. The close collaboration
gives us an opportunity to increase our presence on this market and to
achieve a growing market share within the area of travel vaccines, in
particular" says Didier Hoch, President of Aventis Pasteur MSD.

This collaboration is in line with Active Biotech´s overall partner
strategy. As earlier communicated, Active Biotech signed a collaboration
agreement with Aventis Pasteur´s international organisation in August
2000. This agreement encompasses the marketing,
distribution and sales internationally of Active Biotech´s drinkable
vaccine against cholera, SBL Cholera Vaccine and the travel vaccine
Dukoral, in certain areas outside EU/USA.

Lund 23 March 2001

Active Biotech AB (Publ)

Sven Andréasson
President & CEO

Aventis Pasteur MSD is the European vaccine expert and distributes the
most complete range of vaccines and vaccine combinations for infants,
adolescents, adults and travellers. With 8 offices (Austria, Belgium,
Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom) and
through distribution agreements, Aventis Pasteur MSD is present in 19
European countries. Aventis Pasteur MSD is jointly owned by Aventis
Pasteur (France) and Merck & Co., Inc. (United States). In 2000, Aventis
Pasteur MSD achieved a turnover of 594 million euros.

Active Biotech AB is a biotechnology company focusing on research and
development of medicines and vaccines. Our expertise lies in the
knowledge of the human immune defence system. We have a high-quality
project portfolio and financial strength. The most important products
and projects are medicines for multiple sclerosis (SAIK) and cancer
(TTS), the SBL Cholera Vaccine, and Dukoral and ETEC vaccines against
tourist diarrhoea. Active Biotech's turnover was MSEK 280 in 2000.

Active Biotech AB
Box 724, SE-220 07 Lund, Sweden
Tel: +46 (0)46-19 20 00
Fax: +46 (0)46-19 20 50
e-mail