Sanofi pays £1.2billion to acquire Vicebio, a British biotech. The acquisition seeks to develop Vicebio’s early-stage combination vaccine candidate for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and human metapneumovirus (hMPV).

Vicebio is taking a unique approach to combating respiratory diseases with its novel Molecular Clamp technology that enables the development of next-generation vaccines. They offer broad protection, ready to use formulations and high manufacturability.

Unlike other stabilisation approaches that may alter protein structure, the molecular clamp technology preserves the authentic antigenic properties of the viral proteins potentially bettering vaccine efficacy. The Molecular Clamp method also facilitates a quicker immune response to recognising and responding to viral proteins.

Furthermore, the Molecular Clamp holds the fundamental advantage of providing protection against multiple respiratory viruses with a single immunisation. Therefore, it addresses an unmet medical need for comprehensive protection against co-circulating respiratory pathogens in vulnerable populations.

These fully liquid combination vaccines do not require complicated freeze-drying processes and have good thermostability. Also, the vaccines can be stored at standard refrigeration temperatures between 2 and 8 degrees Celsius thus eliminating the need for cold chain requirements that add additional steps to distribution.  

Sanofi was drawn to Vicebio’s vaccine candidate as it complements their existing flu and RSV prevention portfolio. Furthermore, this strategic addition allows Sanofi to offer healthcare providers and patients greater choice in prevention strategies while expanding technological expertise.

Emmanuel Heron, Chief Executive Officer of Vicebio commented: “Their (Sanofi’s) global scale and deep expertise in vaccine development provide the ideal environment to fully realise the potential of our innovative technology.”

Alongside the initial £1.2 billion, Sanofi is offering a further $450million in milestone payments based on development and regulatory progress. Adding Vicebio’s non-mRNA technology to Sanofi’s portfolio creates a more balanced and resilient R&D pipeline that can better address diverse healthcare needs and mitigate development risks.