BioVeris Corporation has completed a technology license agreement with Baxter Healthcare Corporation for exclusive patent rights to a broad portfolio of vaccine candidates. Vaccines covered by the agreement include those for the prevention of diseases caused by Group A streptococci, Group B streptococci, Pneumococci, Group B meningococci, anthrax bacilli and urinary tract infection (UTI) associated E. coli.
Under the Agreement, BioVeris receives exclusive rights to patents or know-how related to the manufacture, production, use and commercialization of the vaccine candidates. The Company paid a license issue fee and may also make additional future payments for patent costs, milestone fees for initiating and completing human clinical trials and receiving regulatory approvals. The Company is also required to pay royalties on product sales and beginning in 2010, is required to pay a minimum annual royalty that is creditable against any other milestone payments and royalties.
The vaccine portfolio covered by the agreement is based on a conjugate technology platform and also includes recombinant protein antigens. The vaccine candidates are expected to complement and expand the existing intellectual property and vaccine candidates at BioVeris, which now has additional comprehensive candidates for vaccines against bacterial meningitis, including that of streptococcal, pneumococcal and meningococcal origin.
BioVeris' vaccine candidate portfolio addresses the need for vaccines against different organisms, including group A streptococci (of strep throat, impetigo, flesh-eating bacteria and streptococcal toxic shock syndrome), group B streptococci (of sepsis, meningitis, and pneumonia in newborns and adults), group B meningococci (of sepsis, meningitis, and pneumonia at any age), and E. coli (of UTI, predominantly for women). In addition, the vaccine candidate for disease caused by anthrax bacilli may provide a safer and better anthrax vaccine based on a recombinant protective antigen. Each of these vaccines could be candidates for entry into billion dollar global markets, according to a company release.