Takeda buys vaccines specialist Inviragen

Published: 8-May-2013

Gains vaccine candidates against dengue fever and hand, foot and mouth disease


Takeda Pharmaceutical Company has gained the rights to vaccine candidates against dengue and hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) as part of a US$250m deal to purchase Inviragen.

Inviragen, a privately owned biopharmaceutical firm with plants in the US and Singapore, will receive an upfront payment of $35m, and development and commercial milestones of up to $215m.

The company's lead candidate is DENVax, a four-strain recombinant viral vaccine for the prevention of dengue infection, a mosquito-borne viral illness. A two-dose regimen of DENVax over 90 days is currently in Phase II trials.

Inviragen's pipeline also contains a vaccine candidate to protect against HFMD caused by enterovirus 71 (EV71), which has completed Phase I trials. A recombinant vaccine candidate to protect against tropical viral disease chikungunya is currently in preclinical development.

‘Today's announcement reinforces Takeda's commitment to develop innovative vaccines to fight some of the world's most important infectious diseases,’ said Rajeev Venkayya, EVP and Head of Takeda's Vaccine Business Division.

It is estimated that about 400 million people worldwide are infected by the dengue virus each year, of which nearly 100 million develop clinical illness. Approximately 500,000 people are hospitalised and 20,000, mostly children, die from severe complications such as haemorrhagic fever.

‘This acquisition combines Inviragen's expertise in viral vaccine research and development and our extensive worldwide network of preclinical and clinical collaborators with Takeda's resources, product development expertise, and global reach. Together we are well-positioned to bring these promising vaccine candidates to the market,’ said Dan Stinchcomb, Inviragen's Chief Executive.

Takeda will integrate the Inviragen team into its Vaccine Business Division. The deal is expected to close in the next few weeks.

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