Mymetics Corporation Announces Success of Its Preventive Vaccine Against HIV/AIDS and Commencement of European Phase 1 Human Clinical Trials

NYON, Switzerland, Feb. 9, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mymetics (www.mymetics.com)
Corporation (OTCBB:MYMX), announced today that on February 11, in Montreal, at
the 16th world Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI),
Dr. Sylvain Fleury, Chief Scientific Officer of Mymetics, will present the
results of a second series of preclinical trials that confirm the success of
its preventive vaccine against HIV/AIDS. To date, these results are the most
promising and advanced in the world. Further, they confirm a decisive path
towards the prevention of transmitting HIV/AIDS. These results are of such
significance that the European authorities have authorised a phase 1 clinical
trial on humans. 

It is widely recognized that certain people exist that are naturally resistant
to the HIV/AIDS infection and in particular an identified group of prostitutes
in Kenya and Cambodia. These identified prostitutes have been followed for the
past 13 years and have provided recurrent blood samples. Despite their exposure
to multiple HIV positive individuals, these women remain HIV negative. The
explanation for this natural resistance is well known; these prostitutes are
protected by antibodies present in their vaginal secretions. 

The same resistance has been noted in males who have naturally occurring
neutralizing antibodies in their rectal secretions. 

Mymetics has concentrated their research towards replicating this natural
protection and to develop similar antibodies qualified as mucosal secretions
(IgA antibodies in the vaginal secretions) as compared to blood antibodies (IgG
antibodies circulating in the blood). 

Thus, the preventive vaccine formulation developed by Mymetics specifically
induces the production of IgA antibodies, whereas all the other vaccine
antidotes are aimed at the production of IgG antibodies in the blood. It is
this fundamental difference in approach that explains the success of Mymetics'
research compared to the announced failures of other research laboratories. As
a result, Mymetics' vaccine stimulates a defence mechanism effectively blocking
entry of the virus at the mucosal level, the gateway to entry and infection of
humans. 

The completion of the preclinical tests (on the monkeys) is achieved through a
viral test (viral challenge) for which Mymetics chose the Chinese Macaqua
Mulata species of monkey as they most closely resemble humans in virus
transmission. One group is vaccinated and the other is used as reference group.
Then, the two groups receive several doses of the virus, the goal being to
establish that the vaccinated group resists the infection and that the
non-vaccinated group becomes infected by the virus. 

The results of the recent viral test, carried out in Beijing, could not have
been more compelling: the vaccinated group either proved 100% resistant to the
virus or remained at a non detectable level, whereas the non-vaccinated group
were completely infected. 

Moreover, the results obtained in July 2008 at the Institute of Animal
Laboratory Science (ILAS) of the Chinese Academy of Science were verified by an
independent laboratory, the Center for Diseases Control (CDC) of Beijing. The
CDC employed a measurement technique five times more precise than that of the
ILAS. The high degree of specificity and quality of these second series of
results confirming the original observations is all the more impressive. 

Based on these most promising results and the excellence of the research, the
Belgian Health Ministry, acting on behalf of the European Authority, authorised
expeditiously (16 days) the approval to commence Phase I Human Clinical Trials. 

In order to avoid the potential criticism of the low number of animals in the
two test groups, Mymetics presented its results to Prof. Chris Miller of the
University of California (UC Davis), whose laboratory is considered by the
scientific community the best center of preclinical studies on macaques. Dr.
Miller is the Leader of the Virology and Immunology Unit at the California
Regional Primate Research Center (CRPRC) and has been part of the simian AIDS
research effort at the CRPRC since 1987. Qualifying their results as excellent,
Dr. Miller confirmed his agreement for his laboratory to complete further
studies on groups of macaques. 

Through its heterologous viral challenge results, unique in the world, Mymetics
affirms its position of leader in the mucosal approach of producing
neutralizing antibodies, whereas the research of the other laboratories is
almost singularly concentrated on blood antibodies. The objective of the new
study with Dr. Chris Miller is to obtain indisputable results and to accelerate
research and human clinical trials of Mymetics' vaccine. 

About Mymetics 

Mymetics' corporate objective is to develop vaccines and therapies to prevent
and treat the effects of certain retroviruses and other infectious diseases,
including HIV/AIDS and Malaria. In Q4 2008 Mymetics commenced Phase 1 Human
Clinical trials of their HIV/AIDS preventative vaccine candidate which showed
extremely promising results (see Press Release September 16, 2008) as well as
continuing Mymetics' long term Malaria vaccine in Phase Ib Human Clinical
trials in Tanzania. Mymetics' long-term growth strategy includes the
diversification of its pipeline by the development or the acquisition of new
prophylactic or therapeutic vaccines. 

The Mymetics Corporation logo is available at
http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=5478 

Safe Harbor Forward-Looking Statements 

Statements contained in this release that are not strictly historical are
"forward-looking statements." Such forward-looking statements are sometimes
identified by words such as "intends," "anticipates," "believes," "expects" and
"hopes." The forward-looking statements are made based on information available
as of the date hereof, and the Company assumes no obligation to update such
forward-looking statements. Editors and investors are cautioned that such
forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause the
Company's actual results to differ materially from those in these
forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include but are not
limited to demand for the Company's products and services, our ability to
continue to develop markets, general economic conditions, our ability to secure
additional financing for the Company and other factors that may be more fully
described in reports to shareholders and periodic filings with the Securities
and Exchange Commission. 

CONTACT:  Mymetics, Inc.
          Dr.  Sylvain Fleury, Chief Scientific Officer
            +41 76 560 85 60
            Sylvain.fleury@mymetics.ch
          Anthony Jessop, Senior Vice President      
            1 303 800 6606
            ajessop@mymetics.com