BioCentury
ARTICLE | Strategy

Pfizer goes for the gold

October 16, 2006 7:00 AM UTC

After being spun out of Chiron Corp. in 2004 with an unwanted and largely unproven DNA-based vaccine platform, PowderMed Ltd. has successfully moved multiple programs into the clinic where they have produced promising immunogenicity data. The data, in addition to the potential advantages of DNA vaccines, prompted Pfizer Inc. to make its first foray into the vaccine space with last week's agreement to pay an undisclosed amount for the company.

PowderMed's DNA vaccine technology passed through a number of hands before ending up as part of Oxford BioSciences Ltd., which eventually became PowderJect Pharmaceuticals plc in 1997. Chiron, which is now part of Novartis AG (NVS; SWX:NOVN, Basel, Switzerland), then acquired PowderJect in 2003, primarily for its Fluvirin influenza vaccine and manufacturing capacity. It proceeded to unload the injectable powder technology into the spinout...