Shares of Acambis soared after Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccine division of Sanofi-Aventis, announced that it planned to buy the vaccine developer for $548 million. Aside from the smallpox vaccine ACAM2000 [1], which recently won a 10-year, $425 million contract [2] from the U.S. government, Sanofi-Aventis also gains a slate of experimental vaccines for dengue fever, West Nile disease and clostridium difficile, influenza and genital herpes.
Sanofi Pasteur and Acambis are partnered on a variety of development programs already. And the deal underscores just how attractive vaccine companies have become. Sanofi-Aventis "quite liked what we had in Acambis," said Acambis Chief Executive Ian Garland.
- check out Sanofi's release [3]
- read the Wall Street Journal report [4]
- here's the AP story [5]
Related Articles:
Acambis contract offers long-term funding [2]
Out with old, in with new smallpox vaccine [1]
Universal flu vaccine shows early promise [6]
Acambis takes aim at proof-of-concept vaccine trial [7]
Sanofi buys into Acambis' West Nile vaccine program [8]
Links:
[1] http://www.fiercebioresearcher.com/vaccines/story/out-with-old-in-with-new-smallpox-vaccine/2008-03-06
[2] http://www.fiercebioresearcher.com/vaccines/story/spotlight-acambis-contract-offers-long-term-funding/2008-04-24
[3] http://www.fiercebiotech.com/press-releases/offer-sanofi-pasteur-holdings
[4] http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121720145574388433.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
[5] http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2008/07/28/ap5259288.html
[6] http://www.fiercebioresearcher.com/vaccines/story/universal-flu-vaccine-shows-early-promise/2008-01-10
[7] http://www.fiercebioresearcher.com/vaccines/story/acambis-takes-aim-proof-concept-vaccine-trial/2007-12-20
[8] http://www.fiercebiotech.com/story/sanofi-buys-acambis-west-nile-vaccine-program/2007-11-13