Emergent BioSolutions Signs Agreement With Sanofi Pasteur For Development Of Novel Meningitis B Vaccine
GAITHERSBURG, Md., June 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Emergent BioSolutions Inc, a privately-held biopharmaceutical company, today announced it has signed an agreement with sanofi pasteur, the vaccines business of the sanofi-aventis Group . The agreement gives sanofi pasteur exclusive, world-wide rights to Emergent BioSolutions' proprietary proteins and related technology for the development of a novel vaccine to protect against Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B bacterial infections. In addition, the agreement provides that the parties will collaborate in all aspects of product development through to regulatory approval. The companies are targeting a major unmet public health need as current vaccines do not provide protection against serogroup B meningitis.
Under the terms of the agreement, the parties will jointly evaluate and develop a pool of Emergent BioSolution's proprietary antigens as the basis of a multivalent subunit vaccine against Neisseria meningitidis infection. Emergent BioSolutions identified these protein candidates using its patented Signature-Tagged Mutagenesis (STM(TM)) functional genomics technology in combination with functional proteomics techniques. Emergent BioSolutions will have primary responsibility for product development activities through Phase I clinical trials. Sanofi pasteur will have primary responsibility for product development activities from initiation of Phase II studies through to regulatory approval, and for all commercialization activities including world- wide sales and marketing.
Upon agreement sanofi pasteur paid Emergent BioSolutions an up-front license fee of euro 3 million. Agreement terms also provide for payments to Emergent BioSolutions for all development services provided in advancing a vaccine through Phase I clinical trials with a retrospective payment for work performed from January 1, 2006 until agreement, significant milestone payments along the development cycle and royalties on eventual products sales.
"We are pleased at the opportunity to collaborate with Emergent BioSolutions, as part of our overall strategy to develop and commercialize a successful vaccine for protection against meninge B infections," said Michel DeWilde, Sr. Vice President of Research & Development, sanofi pasteur. "Now, more than ever, it is clear that creative partnerships between academia, biotechnology companies, research foundations, government agencies, and the pharmaceutical industry are necessary to meet the demand for new, more technologically challenging vaccines. Emergent BioSolutions' performance and values are aligned with our own, making them a good partner for us."
"Our agreement with sanofi pasteur is an important step forward in the development of a critically-needed vaccine to prevent one of the world's deadliest childhood diseases," said Fuad El-Hibri, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, of Emergent BioSolutions. "This agreement is also consistent with our strategy of selectively establishing relationships with leading pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies for the commercialization of certain of our product candidates. We believe the program established with sanofi pasteur creates a powerful, best-in-class team charged with the mission of developing our novel technology to address a substantial unmet medical need."
About Meningitis B
Meningococcal disease is a life threatening infection capable of causing both meningitis and septicemia. Children aged 6 months to 2 years are at the highest risk of serogroup B meningococcal infection (meningitis B), with teenagers also at enhanced risk. While there are effective purified polysaccharide and conjugate vaccines available to protect against the other major meningococcal serogroups, there is no preventive vaccine currently available to protect against Neisseria meningitides serogroup B infections. Even with intensive medical treatment, meningococcal infection has a fatality rate of up to 10 percent and can rapidly develop, causing death within 24 hours of the onset of symptoms. Approximately 15 percent of survivors are left with serious disability, such as loss of limbs, deafness, or brain damage.
About Emergent BioSolutions Inc.
Emergent BioSolutions Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to protecting life through the development, manufacture, and commercialization of Immunobiotics(TM), which are novel products that direct the immune system to prevent and treat life-threatening diseases. These include products for prophylactic and therapeutic use against infectious diseases where there exists significant unmet or underserved medical needs and against biological agents which may potentially be used as weapons of bioterrorism. The company currently employs more than 450 people with sites in Maryland, Michigan, the United Kingdom, Germany, and the Republic of Singapore. STM(TM) is a trademark of Emergent BioSolutions. More information about Emergent BioSolutions and its subsidiaries can be found at www.ebsi.com.
Emergent BioSolutions Inc.CONTACT: Dan Gagnier or Shannon Provost, both for Emergent BioSolutions,+1-212-687-8080
Web site: http://www.ebsi.com//