Gates partners with GSK, Sanofi for vaccine development
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation on Tuesday launched a new funding program for vaccine development and announced two separate deals with pharmas. The foundation and GlaxoSmithKline plc (LSE:GSK; NYSE:GSK) will invest a combined $1.8 million on R&D to improve the thermostability of vaccine adjuvants, with an initial focus on the adjuvant AS01. GSK is using the adjuvant in its RTS,S malaria vaccine, for which the pharma plans to submit a regulatory application to EMA next year. Separately, the foundation and Sanofi (Euronext:SAN; NYSE:SNY) signed a memorandum of understanding focused on vaccine R&D.
The deals are part of the foundation's newly launched Vaccine Discovery Partnership program. Through the program, the foundation will fund pilot projects -- including preclinical projects through Phase IIa trials -- with industry partners, which will provide matching resources. The foundation could not be reached for details on the program. ...