Takeda to acquire Inviragen for $35m

Japanese pharma company Takeda has announced it is to acquire Inviragen, an innovative vaccine company based in Colordo, US, for an upfront payment of US $35m and future milestone payments of up to $215m. Inviragen specializes in the research and development of innovative vaccines for emerging infectious diseases, including dengue and hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD).

"Takeda has taken another major step toward its goal of establishing a world-class global vaccine business by acquiring Inviragen and its advanced vaccine candidate against dengue, a serious mosquito-borne illness that threatens nearly half of the world's population. Today's announcement reinforces Takeda's commitment to develop innovative vaccines to fight some of the world's most important infectious diseases."

Rajeev Venkayya, M.D., executive vice president and head of Takeda's Vaccine Business Division.

Inviragen's lead candidate, DENVax, is a four-strain recombinant viral vaccine for the prevention of dengue infection, which is currently being evaluated in phase 2 clinical trials. Dengue is one of the four WHO future vaccine priorities, with an estimated 400 million people worldwide infected by the mosquito-borne virus each year. There are currently no specific treatments or cures for dengue, HFMD or chikungunya. Takeda will work with governments and international organizations to ensure that these vaccines reach the populations that need them around the world.

This acquisition will enhance Takeda's vaccine pipeline and increase capabilities with Inviragen's vaccine development center in Singapore. To preserve continuity and build upon Inviragen's success, Takeda will integrate the Inviragen team into Takeda's Vaccine Business Division. The deal is expected to close in the next few weeks, pending the satisfaction of customary closing conditions.