In February 2023 Bavarian Nordic announced that it has entered into an agreement with Emergent BioSolutions to acquire to marketed travel vaccines and a Phase III candidate. The acquisition also includes “facilities and key personnel related to the acquired assets”. The travel vaccines are for the prevention of typhoid fever and cholera. The agreement is worth up to $380 million, broken down into an upfront payment of $270 million and up to $110 million in “future conditional milestone payments”.
Vivotif
Vivotif is a typhoid vaccine, the only oral vaccine licensed by the FDA for the prevention of typhoid fever. Typhoid fever is a “severe and potentially life-threatening infection” caused by the Salmonella typhi bacterium. The vaccine is also approved in Europe and is marketed across over 25 countries.
Vaxchora
Vaxchora is a cholera vaccine, the only FDA-licensed vaccine for the prevention of cholera from Vibrio cholerae serogroup 01. Cholera is a “potentially serious intestinal disease”. The vaccine is also approved in Europe and marketed in more than 25 countries.
Chikungunya vaccine
The agreement also includes a late-stage vaccine candidate against chikungunya with a Phase III read-out expected in late 2023 and a projected launch in 2025. It is a “highly competitive” candidate in an “area with a high unmet medical need”.
Facilities in the US that relate to this vaccine will be acquired, along with a Swiss-based biologics manufacturing facility and commercial operations with a speciality salesforce. Paul Chaplin, President and CEO of Bavarian Nordic commented that the pipeline will be strengthened with this “promising” candidate against an “emerging infectious disease that represents a significant unmet medical need worldwide”.
Travel rebounds
The acquisition of travel vaccines also appeals to Chaplin, who notes a “rebound” after the pandemic.
“Combined, these assets, together with the acquired capabilities within research and development, manufacturing, and commercial, will make a significant contribution to our vision of becoming one of the largest pure-play vaccine companies.”
Furthermore, the addition of capabilities provides the company with “greater flexibility and scale in production”, as it continues to prepare for the launch of “several new products over the next few years”.
For more from Bavarian Nordic and updates on chikungunya vaccines from other key players, come to the World Vaccine Congress in Washington this April.
