Eli Lilly has agreed to buy three biotechnology companies in deals worth up to $3.83bn, as part of a push to develop vaccines that could prevent some of the world’s most common and dangerous infections.
The US drugmaker will acquire Curevo, LimmaTech Biologics and Vaccine Company through a mix of upfront and milestone-based payments, as it looks to expand its pipeline beyond its blockbuster diabetes and weight-loss treatments.
Deal 1: Curevo
Curevo has developed a shingles vaccine, amezosvatein, that in a head-to-head phase 2 trial produced immune protection comparable to the current standard vaccine from GSK. Shingles can cause a painful rash and long-term nerve pain, and has also been linked to increased risks of stroke and dementia.
Many people skip the second of the two required doses of existing shingles vaccines because of side effects including fatigue, chills and pain at the injection site. In clinical trials, amezosvatein reduced those side effects by more than half. Lilly will pay up to $1.5bn for the company.
Deal 2: LimmaTech Biologics
LimmaTech is testing vaccines against bacterial infections that are becoming harder to treat because of antimicrobial resistance. Its most advanced candidate targets Staphylococcus aureus, a bacterium responsible for many surgical-site infections, and is currently in phase 1 trials.
The Swiss company is also developing solutions against gonorrhoea and chlamydia, sexually transmitted infections that can cause infertility, particularly in women. Lilly will pay up to $780m for the company.
Deal 3: Vaccine Company
Vaccine Company is producing a jab against Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), which most people contract during childhood or adolescence, often without symptoms. EBV has long been linked to several cancers, and growing evidence suggests it may also play a major role in diseases including multiple sclerosis and lupus.
The firm’s lead vaccine candidate is approaching its first human trials. Lilly will pay up to $1.55bn for the company.
The ‘why’
In addition to the obvious benefits of pipeline diversification, Daniel Skovronsky, Chief Scientific and Product Officer, Eli Lilly, said that vaccines have huge potential that has not yet been realised.
“Decades of evidence now link common infections to diseases that potentially emerge years later, including neurological disease, cancer and infertility.
“And as antimicrobial resistance erodes our ability to treat bacterial infections, vaccines are increasingly the only path to prevention.”
All three deals remain subject to regulatory approval.
Featured image: Maxim on Adobe Stock
