Valneva Partners with LimmaTech to Accelerate Shigellosis Vaccine Development

The Franco-Austrian biotech company Valneva has just acquired the rights from LimmaTech Biologics to Shigella4V, a vaccine candidate currently in phase I/II, developed against shigellosis.

Having just extended its partnership with the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) for the development of its chikungunya vaccine, Valneva has signed a new collaboration agreement, this time with the Swiss LimmaTech Biologics.

Through this agreement, the Franco-Austrian biotech company has acquired exclusive rights to develop, produce and market Shigella4V, a bioconjugate vaccine candidate against shigellosis. LimmaTech, which acquired the rights to the vaccine from GSK in July 2023, recently published positive phase I/II data confirming its “robust immunogenicity against the four most common pathogenic serotypes of Shigella.”

Caused by bacteria called Shigella, shigellosis is the second leading cause of fatal diarrheal disease worldwide. According to Valneva, it affects up to 165 million people worldwide and is responsible for approximately 600,000 deaths each year, particularly among children in low- and middle-income countries, international travelers, and military personnel deployed to endemic areas.

While there are currently no approved vaccines against shigellosis and their development has been prioritized by the WHO, Valneva estimates that “the global market for shigellosis vaccines is worth more than $500 million per year.”

Under the terms of the agreement, Valneva will pay an upfront payment of €10 million to LimmaTech

Thomas Lingelbach, CEO of Valneva, welcomed the new partnership. “ This shigellosis vaccine candidate represents a potential first-in-class vaccine solution for low-income countries and travelers and is, in fact, potentially very synergistic for Valneva ,” he said. The collaboration agreement is in line with the biotech’s announced strategy “ to have a new Phase III R&D program by 2027. ”

Under the terms of the agreement, Valneva will pay an upfront payment of €10 million to LimmaTech, which will also receive milestone payments based on Shigella4V’s progress, as well as “double-digit” royalties on its sales. After conducting two new phase II trials, which are expected to start in the second half of 2024, the Swiss biotech will hand over the development and potential global commercialization of the vaccine to Valneva.

__

(Featured image by Pepi Stojanovski via Unsplash)

DISCLAIMER: This article was written by a third party contributor and does not reflect the opinion of Born2Invest, its management, staff or its associates. Please review our disclaimer for more information.

This article may include forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words “believe,” “project,” “estimate,” “become,” “plan,” “will,” and similar expressions. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks as well as uncertainties, including those discussed in the following cautionary statements and elsewhere in this article and on this site. Although the Company may believe that its expectations are based on reasonable assumptions, the actual results that the Company may achieve may differ materially from any forward-looking statements, which reflect the opinions of the management of the Company only as of the date hereof. Additionally, please make sure to read these important disclosures.

First published in L’USINENOUVELLE. A third-party contributor translated and adapted the article from the original. In case of discrepancy, the original will prevail.

Although we made reasonable efforts to provide accurate translations, some parts may be incorrect. Born2Invest assumes no responsibility for errors, omissions or ambiguities in the translations provided on this website. Any person or entity relying on translated content does so at their own risk. Born2Invest is not responsible for losses caused by such reliance on the accuracy or reliability of translated information. If you wish to report an error or inaccuracy in the translation, we encourage you to contact us