Sanofi Buys UK’s Vicebio to Boost Respiratory Vaccines for $1.6 Billion

Sanofi agreed to acquire privately held U.K. biotechnology company Vicebio for $1.15 billion in cash and up to $450 million in development and regulatory milestones, valuing the deal at as much as $1.6 billion. The French drugmaker said the purchase will expand its portfolio of respiratory vaccines and is not expected to affect its full-year financial guidance. Vicebio’s lead program, VXB-241, is a bivalent vaccine in Phase 1 trials designed to protect older adults against both respiratory syncytial virus and human metapneumovirus. Sanofi will also gain Vicebio’s “Molecular Clamp” platform, which stabilises viral proteins and enables fully liquid combination vaccines that can be stored at standard refrigeration temperatures, potentially lowering distribution costs. The transaction, scheduled to close in the fourth quarter, continues Sanofi’s deal-making streak following its recent acquisition of Blueprint Medicines. Industry analysts view the move as part of a broader race among large vaccine makers to secure next-generation respiratory candidates after rival tie-ups such as AstraZeneca’s $1.1 billion purchase of Icosavax last year.