Print“GSK expects the technology will play an important role in its development of next-generation vaccines designed to prevent infection as well as new classes of therapeutic vaccines.”
GlaxoSmithKline is paying $325 million (€250 million) for Okairos, a privately held Swiss developer of novel genetic vaccines targeting a range of infectious diseases and cancer.
GSK will assume full ownership Okairos' early-stage assets, including the company's malaria and Prohepatitis C vaccines in mid-stage clinical testing. A second hepatitis C vaccine, an HIV vaccine, and a vaccine for respiratory syncytial virus are in early-stage tests. Meanwhile, vaccines for Ebola, influenza, tuberculosis, and cancer are still in pre-clinical testing.
Okairos' genetic vaccine platform technology delivers a segment of DNA encoding a specific antigen either as naked DNA or encapsulated in a viral particle. That stimulates an immune response that Okairos believes holds the potential to address disease where historical vaccine technologies have failed. GSK expects the technology will play an important role in its development of next-generation vaccines designed to prevent infection as well as new classes of therapeutic vaccines.
GSK says it hopes to develop maintain the “autonomy, spirit, and agility" of the small biotech while also providing it with the advantages of being part of a large multinational company.
Okairos was spun out from Merck in 2007 and supported by venture investments from BioMedInvest, the Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund, LSP, Novartis Venture Funds, and Versant Ventures.
May 31, 2013
http://www.burrillreport.com/article-gsk_preps_next_generation_vaccines_with_325m_okairos_acquisition.html
