Bavarian Nordic will obtain rights to Emergent’s vaccine candidates, Vivotif to prevent typhoid fever, Vaxchora to prevent cholera, and a development-stage chikungunya vaccine candidate, CHIKV VLP

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Bavarian Nordic’s Vaccine manufacturing line. (Credit: Bavarian Nordic)

Danish pharmaceuticals company Bavarian Nordic has agreed to acquire Emergent BioSolutions’ travel health business for up to $380m.

Under the terms of the agreement, Bavarian Nordic will obtain rights to Emergent’s vaccine candidates, Vivotif to prevent typhoid fever, Vaxchora to prevent cholera, and a development-stage chikungunya vaccine candidate, CHIKV VLP.

The Danish company will also acquire its manufacturing site in Switzerland and development facilities in San Diego, California.

As part of the transaction, around 280 Emergent employees are expected to join Bavarian Nordic.

The total consideration of up to $380m includes $270m upfront cash payment, $30m in sales-based milestone payments and $80m in development-based milestone payments.

The acquisition is expected to close in the second quarter of 2023, subject to regulatory clearance and customary closing conditions.

Emergent president and chief executive officer Robert G Kramer said: “This agreement enables these important vaccines to continue to get to patients and customers who need them while allowing us to further sharpen our focus on protecting and enhancing life through our core products and contract manufacturing services businesses.”

Bavarian Nordic president and chief executive officer Paul Chaplin said: “Travel vaccines are seeing a rebound after the COVID-19 pandemic and the expanded portfolio allows us to further explore synergies in our commercial presence across key markets.

“Likewise, the addition of further manufacturing capabilities provides us with greater flexibility and scale in production, as we continue our preparations for the launch of several new products over the next few years.”

In a separate development, Emergent announced that the US Food and Drug Administration’s panel of advisers supported the approval of the over-the-counter (OTC) version of its opioid overdose-reversing drug, Narcan (naloxone HCl) Nasal Spray.

FDA’s non-prescription Drugs Advisory Committee and the Anaesthetic and Analgesic Drug Products Advisory Committee have unanimously voted in favour of its approval.

The advisors’ voting implies that the benefit-risk profile of Narcan Nasal Spray supports its use as a non-prescription opioid overdose reversal agent.

Emergent BioSolutions SVP and products business head Paul Williams said: “This favourable recommendation marks another important step forward to broaden access to NARCAN Nasal Spray for those who may be at risk of an opioid overdose.

“Today’s vote reaffirms our confidence in the safe and effective use of NARCAN in the community setting.

“We want to thank the participants in the open public hearing who shared their insights and personal experiences informing the need to make NARCAN more readily available over the counter.”