What You Should Know:
– Sanofi has entered into an agreement to acquire Vicebio Ltd (“Vicebio”), a privately held biotechnology company headquartered in London, UK. The acquisition expands Sanofi’s capabilities in vaccine design and development with Vicebio’s innovative ‘Molecular Clamp’ technology and brings an early-stage combination vaccine candidate for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and human metapneumovirus (hMPV) into its pipeline.
– The vaccine candidate complements Sanofi’s existing presence in the respiratory vaccines space, where the company is already active in flu and RSV prevention. This acquisition allows Sanofi to offer increased physician and patient choice in RSV and hMPV by adding a non-mRNA vaccine to its portfolio.
‘Molecular Clamp’ Technology: A Leap in Vaccine Design
The acquisition specifically includes Vicebio’s ‘Molecular Clamp’ technology, an innovative approach that stabilizes viral proteins in their native shape. This stabilization enables the immune system to recognize and respond to them more effectively.
This technology facilitates the quicker development of fully liquid combination vaccines that can be stored at standard refrigeration temperatures (2–8°C), eliminating the need for freezing or freeze-drying. This simplification of manufacturing and distribution is significant. Furthermore, fully liquid vaccines can be made available in prefilled syringes, enhancing ease of use, safety, and operational efficiency across healthcare settings.
Financial Considerations
Under the terms of the agreement, Sanofi will acquire all of Vicebio’s share capital for a total upfront payment of $1.15B, with potential milestone payments of up to $450M based on development and regulatory achievements. The transaction is expected to close in Q4 2025, subject to customary closing conditions, including receipt of regulatory approvals. The acquisition is not anticipated to have a significant impact on Sanofi’s financial guidance for 2025.
“We are excited to join Sanofi. Their global scale and deep expertise in vaccine development provide the ideal environment to fully realize the potential of our innovative technology. As part of the Sanofi team, we look forward to advancing our platform and pipeline to deliver meaningful benefits for patients and public health,” said Emmanuel Hanon, Chief Executive Officer at Vicebio.
