AstraZeneca has acquired vaccine bioconjugation specialist Omniose, securing technology and expertise that could boost its efforts to protect people from bacterial threats.
Omniose partnered with AstraZeneca in January 2024. Under the three-year pact, the collaborators worked on vaccines against bacterial pathogens, including multidrug-resistant “superbugs.” The partnership built on evidence that Omniose had developed technology to unlock the potential of conjugate vaccines.
With the alliance drawing to a close, AstraZeneca has made Omniose a wholly owned subsidiary within its infectious disease unit.
“Omniose’s bioconjugation platform represents a differentiated approach to engineering conjugate vaccines and strengthens our ability to develop novel vaccines against serious bacterial infections,” Benjamin Moutier, senior vice president, infectious disease at AstraZeneca, explained in a Nov. 10 release.
The first glycoconjugate vaccine came to market in the U.S. in 1987. While linking a polysaccharide to a protein carrier has proved effective against pathogens such as Haemophilus influenzae, the impact of the approach has been limited by the complexity of the chemical processes used to attach bacterial polysaccharides to engineered carrier proteins.
Bioconjugation simplifies production by coupling the components inside bacterial cells. GSK acquired bioconjugation technology in 2015 through its $190 million takeover of GlycoVaxyn. Sanofi paid Johnson & Johnson $175 million upfront in 2023 to co-develop a bioconjugate vaccine, although work stopped in 2025 after an interim analysis of phase 3 data revealed insufficient efficacy.
Omniose designed its platform to be more versatile than other bioconjugation technologies. The biotech has applied the platform to pathogens including Klebsiella pneumoniae, reporting durable responses in mice.
AstraZeneca didn't share the financial details of the deal with Fierce. Omniose’s funding news has centered on grants, with the National Institutes of Health providing $3.6 million in 2022 for Klebsiella pneumoniae vaccine R&D and committing up to $3 million to a Group B Streptococcus project in 2023.
Where Big Pharma is placing its bets is one of the hot topics being discussed at Fierce Biotech's high-impact event in London this month. Find out more information and register by clicking on the banner below:
