Billion-dollar deal for UQ's molecular clamp vaccine tech

Multinational healthcare company Sanofi has entered into an agreement to acquire Vicebio, a biotech company formed in 2018 to develop The University of Queensland’s (UQ) molecular clamp technology to make vaccines against life-threatening respiratory viral infections. The acquisition will see Vicebio shareholders receive up to a total of US$1.6 billion, in what is understood to be the largest deal involving a company that is commercialising intellectual property from an Australian university.

UQ Professors Keith Chappell, Dan Watterson and Paul Young first teamed up in 2012 on research to stabilise the viral proteins that are the primary target of immune defence, thus locking them into a shape that allows for an optimal immune response. In 2019 the researchers received a grant from the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) to develop the technology into a rapid response vaccine platform, and in 2020 they were asked to pivot their work towards COVID-19. Although a diagnostic interference issue prevented the work from progressing past phase 1 clinical trials at the time, it has since been re-engineered to overcome this.

“A key advantage of the molecular clamp platform is that it streamlines vaccine development across different viral families,” Chappell said.

“This is incredibly important for outbreak responses but facilitates the efficient development of multi-pathogen vaccines that we believe will protect vulnerable populations against common viruses that cause severe respiratory diseases.”

UQ licensed the technology to Vicebio, created by European investment firm Medicxi, to progress the molecular clamp towards clinical trials and commercialisation for a wide range of viruses. Vicebio is currently running an exploratory phase 1 clinical trial with lead asset VXB-241, a bivalent vaccine targeting both respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and human metapneumovirus (hMPV), with interim analysis showing a favourable safety and tolerability profile in adults aged 60 and above. The university is a shareholder in Vicebio through direct investment and the licensing of the vaccine platform technology for commercialisation.

The acquisition by Sanofi will see Vicebio shareholders receive an upfront payment of US$1.15 billion, with potential milestone payments of up to US$450 million based on development and regulatory achievements. UQ Vice-Chancellor Professor Deborah Terry AC said the acquisition represents an opportunity for the technology to be accelerated through the final stages of translation into a vaccine to address global health challenges.

“This extraordinary outcome validates 12 years of UQ research, and I pay tribute to the dedicated UQ scientists who invented the patented molecular clamp technology,” Terry said.

“The acquisition is a compelling vote of confidence in the strength of Australian university research to develop innovations that can be translated into life-saving solutions with a world leader in the vaccine space.”

Image credit: The University of Queensland.