Vicebio, a biopharmaceutical firm developing vaccines against respiratory viruses, announced it will be acquired by Sanofi in a deal where shareholders could receive up to $1.6 billion, including a $1.15 billion upfront and $450 million in milestone payments.
Created by Medicxi using the proprietary Molecular Clamp technology from the University of Queensland, Vicebio focuses on stabilizing viral glycoproteins to induce strong immune responses and produce multivalent formulations for viruses like RSV, hMPV, Parainfluenza, Influenza, and Coronaviruses.
In September 2024, Vicebio raised Series B funding led by TCGX, with investments from Goldman Sachs, Avoro Ventures, venBio Partners, UniQuest, and Medicxi, enabling accelerated clinical development of its products, including a Phase 1 trial of its bivalent RSV/hMPV vaccine showing positive safety results in adults 60+.
Counsel: Goodwin Procter acted as legal counsel to Vicebio.
KEY QUOTES:
“Our aim in creating Vicebio was to back a clear product vision to develop a best-in-class vaccine against respiratory viruses. 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.”
Dr. Giovanni Mariggi, Chairman of Vicebio and Partner at Medicxi
“Vicebio has successfully developed best-in-class multivalent vaccines targeting leading causes of respiratory disease. These vaccines have the potential to protect millions of patients from life-threatening viral infections and we are thrilled to partner with Sanofi to accelerate their development. We look forward to working with Sanofi and combining our innovative technology with Sanofi’s global clinical development capability.”
Cariad Chester, Managing Partner at TCGX
“Vicebio and its incredibly passionate team have been driven by the ambition to develop next-generation vaccines aimed at targeting multiple life-threatening respiratory viruses simultaneously. This acquisition validates our ability to combine innovation and deep scientific expertise towards a common goal of advancing public health prevention, and we’re excited to enter the next chapter to accelerate the global impact of our work.”
Dr. Emmanuel Hanon, Chief Executive Officer of Vicebio
