Eli Lilly and Company has announced agreements to acquire three vaccine companies, Curevo (Bothell, Washington), LimmaTech Biologics (Schlieren, Switzerland), and Vaccine Company (Bethesda, Maryland) for a combined transaction value of $3.8 billion. 

Curevo’s lead product candidate is amezosvatein, an adjuvanted subunit vaccine for the prevention of shingles in adults. Under the agreement, Lilly will acquire Curevo for $1.5 billion, inclusive of an upfront payment and subsequent payment upon achievement of a specified milestone. 

LimmaTech Biologics is developing vaccines against bacterial pathogens, including Staphylococcus aureus, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and Chlamydia trachomatis. The company’s platform is designed to generate broad, durable immune responses against complex bacterial targets by targeting the toxins and superantigens that drive disease. LimmaTech’s lead program, LTB-SA7, is in Phase I development as a vaccine against S. aureus, the leading cause of surgical-site infection. Under the agreement, Lilly will acquire LimmaTech for up to $780 million, inclusive of an upfront payment and additional potential payments based upon the achievement of certain clinical and regulatory milestones. 

Vaccine Company has proprietary In Vivo Nanoparticle (IVN) technologies, which are designed to enable the antigen display known to elicit durable immune responses associated with virus-like particle vaccines. The company is advancing a broad preclinical pipeline spanning multiple viral pathogens; its lead program applies this technology to Epstein-Barr Virus with a five-antigen Phase I-ready candidate. Under the agreement, Lilly will acquire Vaccine Company for up to $1.55 billion in cash, inclusive of an upfront payment and subsequent payments upon achievement of certain clinical and commercial milestones. 

Source: Eli Lilly and Company