SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
__________
SCHEDULE 14A
Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a)
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
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AQUILA BIOPHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
(Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)
(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if Other than the Registrant)
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_______________________________________________________________________
The following letter was sent to shareholders with the proxy
solicitation materials on April 18, 1997.
April 18, 1997
Dear Shareholder,
In 1996 Aquila Biopharmaceuticals emerged as a new biotechnology
company, creating and commercializing products which modulate the
immune system to treat or prevent infectious diseases and cancer.
Aquila's technology is focused on the proprietary Stimulon family
of adjuvants and our capabilities for producing antigens through
recombinant methods. Our goal is to develop safe, effective and
marketable products through our own efforts and in collaboration
with our corporate partners.
We have made significant progress over the last few years, and
recently achieved several milestones. We anticipate that we will
report to you several new important accomplishments over the next
one to two years. Our lead human health product, Quilimmune-P
for preventing pneumococcal infections is in Phase I clinical
trials. If the product meets the clinical end points in this
trial, we expect to move into Phase II clinical testing this year.
Quilvax-M for preventing bovine mastitis is in animal trials. We
have completed feasibility testing in cows and have research
challenge trials underway to demonstrate efficacy. We expect to
complete the research studies this year and initiate final
efficacy and safety licensing trials in 1998.
The company's six corporate partners and academic collaborators
have completed 14 clinical trials with products incorporating
QS-21, our lead Stimulon adjuvant. An additional 22 trials are
underway targeting a number of different diseases, including
influenza, malaria, hepatitis, herpes and certain cancers.
The strength of the company and its technology is a direct result
of the expertise and outstanding commitment of our employees. We
thank them for their efforts. We also thank you, our
shareholders, for your support.
Welcome to Aquila Biopharmaceuticals.
Yours sincerely,
/s/ Alison Taunton-Rigby
Alison Taunton-Rigby, Ph.D.
President and Chief Executive Officer
