Press Release Details

BERKELEY, Calif., May 13, 2009 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Dynavax Technologies Corporation (Nasdaq:DVAX) today announced the award of a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). This grant will support the preclinical development of Dynavax's first-in-class oligonucleotide-based Toll-like Receptor (TLR) inhibitors for use in inflammatory skin diseases such as psoriasis, cutaneous lupus, and dermatomyositis. This new two-year $700,000 grant is in addition to a $1.8 million grant awarded in 2008.

"In addition to validating our proprietary technology, this new grant supports the preclinical studies for our TLR inhibitors, which represent a novel therapeutic approach for the treatment of inflammatory skin disorders," commented Robert L. Coffman, Ph.D., Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer of Dynavax Technologies. "Grant funding and partnerships with leading pharmaceutical companies help us advance the development of our TLR-based products targeting significant unmet medical needs."

For more information about Dynavax's TLR inhibitor program, visit http://www.dynavax.com/autoimmunity.htm.

About Dynavax

Dynavax Technologies Corporation, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, discovers and develops a diversified pipeline of novel Toll-like Receptor (TLR) based product candidates. Based on Dynavax's proprietary technologies, these products specifically modify the innate immune response to infectious, respiratory, autoimmune, and inflammatory diseases. Dynavax has partnerships with leading pharmaceutical companies such as GlaxoSmithKline, AstraZeneca, and Novartis as well as funding from Symphony Dynamo, Inc. and the National Institutes of Health. For more information visit www.dynavax.com.

SOURCE: Dynavax Technologies Corporation

Dynavax Technologies Corporation
Amy Figueroa, 510-665-7211
Investor Relations and Corporate Communications
afigueroa@dynavax.com

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