A London-based MedTech developing vaccines against life threatening respiratory viral infections has been acquired by French firm Sanofi in a £1.2bn deal.
Vicebio Ltd, which also has head offices in Australia and Belgium, has entered an exclusive, definitive agreement, which will include an upfront payment of £850m as well as development and regulatory milestones payments of £332m.
The deal is set to expand the company’s respiratory vaccine portfolio.
It becomes the latest in a flurry of acquisitions by Sanofi, which recently completed the purchase of US firm Blueprint Medicines Corporation in a deal worth up to £7bn.
Vicebio was created by investment company Medicxi in 2019 to develop next-generation vaccines for respiratory viruses, utilising its proprietary ‘Molecular Clamp’ technology which was discovered at The University of Queensland.
It works by stabilising viral proteins, triggering a strong immune response and allowing for efficient, ready-to-use liquid vaccine production.
The tech can be used against a wide range of viruses, including RSV, hMPV, flu, and coronaviruses.
In September 2024, the company secured a £74m Series B funding round led by TCGX, which is now helping Vicebio speed up development of its lead vaccine, VXB-241, and future products.
VXB-241 is currently being tested in an early-stage clinical trial. It is a dual-target vaccine for RSV and hMPV – two viruses that pose serious risks for older adults and people with weakened immune systems.
Early results from the trial show the vaccine is safe and well tolerated in people aged 60 and over.
“Our aim in creating Vicebio was to back a clear product vision to develop a best-in-class vaccine against respiratory viruses,” said Dr. Giovanni Mariggi, chairman of Vicebio and partner at Medicxi.
“We are extremely proud of what we have accomplished in the last few years thanks to a team effort by the company, University of Queensland, our investors and the board.
“We are excited to partner with Sanofi which will further accelerate VXB-241’s development to ensure it ultimately benefits those in need.”
Jean-François Toussaint, global head of R&D vaccines at Sanofi, added: “Vicebio’s ‘Molecular Clamp’ technology introduces a purposefully simple but thoughtful approach to further improve vaccine designs at a time when respiratory viral infections continue to impact millions globally.
“This acquisition [has] the potential to develop next-generation combination vaccines that could provide protection to older adults against multiple respiratory viruses with a single immunisation.”
Goodwin Procter acted as legal counsel to Vicebio.