Sanofi Completes Acquisition of Dynavax for $2.2 Billion
Sanofi has completed its acquisition of Dynavax, adding its adult vaccines and pipeline candidates to strengthen Sanofi’s presence in adult immunization.
Vaccines
Ethris and Lonza to Develop Spray-Dried mRNA Respiratory Vaccines
Ethris and Lonza have teamed up to develop room-temperature stable, spray-dried mRNA vaccines for respiratory diseases. This collaboration aims to create mucosal delivery formulations, offering a promising new approach to combat respiratory illnesses.
GSK and Oxford University Collaborate on Cancer Vaccines
GSK and the University of Oxford have entered a new research collaboration focused on the potential of cancer prevention through vaccination. The program, in which GSK plans to invest up to £50 million over a minimum of three years, will conduct translational research, exploring precancer biology to generate key insights on how cancer develops in humans that could inform future development of cancer vaccines.
Merck & Co. Acquires Vaccine Site in Ireland from WuXi
As part of its long-term plans in the country, US drugmaker Merck & Co., operating as MSD outside of North America, has acquired WuXi Biologics’ site in Dundalk, Ireland, for about $500 million. The deal was announced through Ireland’s Foreign Direct Investment Agency (IDA) and MSD’s Ireland unit.
GSK and Flagship Pioneering Collaborate on Novel Medicines and Vaccines
GSK and innovation company Flagship Pioneering have entered a collaboration to develop a portfolio of new medicines and vaccines, starting in respiratory and immunology. Flagship’s ecosystem comprises 40 bioplatform companies, including Moderna.
Touchlight and GSK Sign License Agreement for DNA Production
Touchlight, a UK-based custom development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) specializing in enzymatic DNA production, signed a license agreement with British drugmaker GSK which grants GSK non-exclusive rights to use Touchlight’s proprietary enzymatic dbDNA (doggybone DNA) technology for the development and production of mRNA-based products.
Merck Partners with Afrigen Biologics on mRNA Vaccines
German chemicals, pharmaceuticals and life sciences group Merck entered a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Afrigen Biologics to support the development of an mRNA vaccine technology platform. The collaboration is aimed at advancing mRNA platform manufacturing capabilities, scaling up production, optimizing processes, and providing troubleshooting expertise, the companies said.
BioNTech to Receive $145 Million to Expand mRNA Vaccine Production in Africa
German biotech company BioNTech and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) are expanding their strategic partnership to contribute to building a sustainable and resilient end-to-end African vaccine ecosystem. The partners said that CEPI will commit up to $145 million to support BioNTech to establish mRNA vaccine R&D as well as clinical and commercial-scale manufacturing capabilities at the company’s facility in Kigali, Rwanda.
The Future of mRNA Technology
mRNA-based vaccines against the coronavirus have become firmly established in medicine since the pandemic. Nevertheless, the technology is still at the beginning of its potential. Experts see a wide range of potential applications for this relatively new technology, particularly in infectious diseases and cancer.
SK Bioscience to Expand South-Korean Vaccine Production Capacity
South Korea-based contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) SK Bioscience has broken ground on an approximately 4,200 m2 expansion of its L House vaccine manufacturing facility in Andong, Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea, which will serve as the production base for pneumococcal conjugate vaccine candidate GBP410, jointly developed by SK Bioscience and Sanofi, who are co-investing in the expansion.
AstraZeneca to Buy Vaccine Company Icosavax for $1.1 Billion
AstraZeneca has entered into an agreement to acquire Icosavax, a US biopharmaceutical company based in Seattle in a deal worth up to $1.1 billion. The company focuses on the development of differentiated vaccines with high potential using an innovative virus-like protein (VLP) particle platform.
SK Bioscience to Expand Production Capacity for Pneumococcal Vaccine in Korea
South Korea-based contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) SK Bioscience wants to expand its vaccine manufacturing plant located in Andong, South Korea to approximately 4,200 m2 through joint investment with Sanofi.
GSK and Zhifei Co-Promote Shingles Vaccine in China
GSK has struck a deal with Chongqing Zhifei Biological Products to promote the British group's shingles vaccine, Shingrix, in China for an initial three-year period. Starting on Jan.1, 2024, Zhifei will have exclusive rights to import and distribute Shingrix in China through its service network of more than 30,000 vaccination points across the country.
Sanofi Enters into Partnerships with Janssen and Teva
Sanofi has entered into an agreement with Janssen Pharmaceuticals, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, to develop and commercialize the vaccine candidate for extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli (9-valent) developed by Janssen, a potential first-in-class product currently in Phase 3.
BARDA Funds Gritstone Bio's Phase 2b Study for Covid-19 Vaccine Candidate
US biotechnology company Gritstone Bio has received a contract from the US Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) to conduct a Phase 2b comparative study evaluating the company’s self-amplifying mRNA (samRNA) vaccine candidate against Covid-19.
Moderna and Immatics Collaborate on Cancer Therapies
US vaccine maker Moderna and German biotechnology company Immatics agreed on a broad multi-platform research and development collaboration for novel cancer therapies, combining Immatics’ TCR platform with Moderna’s mRNA technology. The project spans various therapeutic modalities including bispecifics, cell therapy and cancer vaccines.
Toyo Ink Invests in Biotech Company VLP Therapeutics
Japan-based specialty chemicals manufacturer Toyo Ink has signed an agreement to invest in US-based biotech company VLP Therapeutics (VLPT) and its subsidiary company VLP Therapeutics Japan (VLPT Japan). Financial details of the agreement were not revealed.
Moderna to Build New Plant in Massachusetts
After building up manufacturing footholds outside the US, including in Australia, Kenya, South Korea, Canada and the UK, vaccine specialist Moderna is planning to build a new plant closer to its home base in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
EU and Pfizer/BioNTech Amend Vaccine Pact
The European Commission and vaccine makers Pfizer and BioNTech have reached agreement on amending the bloc’s 2021 supply deal for the duo’s Comirnaty mRNA-based shot. The compromise that extends the last planned delivery date to 2026 follows months of discussion, with member states urging the Commission to renegotiate the controversial deal.
Croda Partners on Vaccine Adjuvants
UK specialty chemicals company Croda has signed partnership agreements with US companies Amyris and Botanical Solutions Inc (BSI) to source sustainable vaccine adjuvants.
Biden Seeks to Protect Covid Funding in Debit Crisis
The administration of US president Joe Biden is said to be wrangling with the Republican opposition in Congress to preserve funding for key components of the federal coronavirus response as the two sides fight over raising the debt ceiling to avert a government shutdown.
Positive Vaccine Data Bolster Novavax
The market value of US vaccine maker Novavax is gaining momentum again on the back of promising data the company recently provided on its combined Covid and flu vaccine data.
Moderna Chooses Oxfordshire Site for UK Tech Center
US vaccine maker Moderna has chosen the Harwell Science Campus in Oxfordshire, England, as the location for its planned UK Innovation and Technology Center which is expected to be in operation by 2025.
CureVac Presents Positive Data from mRNA Trials
German biotech CureVac has released preliminary data from its ongoing cooperation with UK drugmaker GSK on a new class of “transformative medicines” based on messenger mRNA.
J&J Ends Mosaico HIV Vaccine Trial on poor Results
Johnson & Johnson’s pharmaceuticals subsidiary Janssen is walking away from plans to launch an HIV vaccine in the immediate future after the data safety monitoring board for its latest Phase 3 trial found that the shot was no better than a placebo.
Resilience and Mubadala in Biopharma Venture
US biopharma manufacturing and technology company National Resilience has entered into an agreement with Abu Dhabi investor Mubadala Investment Company to build a manufacturing plant in the United Arab Emirate’s biggest city. This will be the first GMP biopharma facility in the UAE.
BioNTech to Acquire all of InstaDeep
As it continues to leverage earnings from its top-selling mRNA-based Covid vaccine to deepen its existing knowhow, Mainz, Germany-based BioNtech has announced plans to acquire all of London-based artificial intelligence specialist InstaDeep.
FDA Approves Omicron-targeted Children’s Vaccines
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued Emergency Use Authorizations (EUAs) for the updated Covid-19 vaccines of both Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna in children aged six months to five years.
Pfizer Files Rebuttal of Moderna’s Patent Claim
Faced with a lawsuit from US rival Moderna, alleging that Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech infringed one of its patent for their top-selling Covid-19 vaccine Comirnaty, the New York US drugs giant said in a court filing that Comirnaty was based on independent research and wasn’t a Moderna copy.
AstraZeneca Sells US Site to National Resilience
Two weeks after annnouncing that it would no longer seek to market its Covid-19 vaccine in the US, Anglo-Swedish drugmaker AstraZeneca has unveiled plans to sell its production site at West Chester, Ohio, to privately-held biomanufacturing company National Resilience.
AstraZeneca Withdraws US Vaxzevria Launch Plan
AstraZeneca (AZ) has announced it is permanently backing away from any plans to sell its Vaxzevria-branded Covid-19 vaccine in the US.
BioNTech Buys Novartis Singapore Plant for Asia HQ
German Covid-19 vaccine specialist BioNTech has acquired a production facility in Singapore from Swiss drugmaker Novartis that will serve as a manufacturing base in addition to being its Asia-Pacific headquarters.
Pfizer/BioNTech Bivalent Covid Booster Wins Approvals
UK health regulator Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has approved the Pfizer/BioNTech bivalent Covid-19 vaccine for use as a booster in people 12 years and older.
Omicron-targeted Covid Boosters may not be Better
The newly launched bivalent mRNA-based Covid-19 booster shots from Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech did not show a major improvement over the companies’ first-generation vaccines targeting the original strain, a small US study conducted by Columbia University and the University of Michigan has found. Detailed data have not yet been released.
EU Public Prosecutor Probes Vaccine Mega Order
The European Public Prosecutors Office (EPPO) has confirmed that it is looking into the EU Commission’s ordering of Covid-19 vaccines, with the probe thought to pertain in particular to order activity outside the usual purchasing channels.
