Immune Design Corp. (IDC), a privately held biotechnology company developing novel vaccines and immunotherapies for infectious disease and cancer, announced that it has entered into a license and development agreement with MedImmune for the use and commercialization of IDC’s proprietary Glucopyranosyl Lipid Adjuvant (GLA) as a component in vaccines for select infectious diseases.

"We are pleased to enter into this license with MedImmune as one of the world's leading vaccine research-based pharmaceutical and healthcare companies," commented IDC executive chairman Dr Bruce Carter.  "This relationship fits very well with IDC’s business model to advance the development of GLA and enable innovative vaccine products that we believe will provide significant benefit in areas of unmet need while maintaining our commitment to global access."

Under the terms of the license agreement, IDC grants MedImmune exclusive worldwide rights to research, develop, use, and commercialize the GLA adjuvant in vaccines for specific indications.  In return, IDC will receive an upfront licensing fee and potential development, regulatory and commercial milestones totalling $212 million, in addition to royalty payments on sales of marketed products. 

GLA is a toll-like receptor 4 (TLR-4) agonist which IDC has advanced into early clinical stage development.  The small molecule adjuvant has several important features including a pure synthetic composition with straightforward manufacturing and long term stability, a rational design for optimal activation of human dendritic cells, compatibility with antigens in multiple formulations, and a well established safety profile. 

Immune Design Corp. is a privately held biotechnology company based in Seattle, WA.  IDC brings together some of the world’s leaders in the field of molecular immunology to develop vaccines for the prevention and treatment of infectious and malignant disease. 

MedImmune, the worldwide biologics unit for AstraZeneca PLC, has approximately 3,300 employees worldwide and is headquartered in Gaithersburg, Maryland. With an advancing pipeline of promising drug candidates, MedImmune strives to deliver life-changing products, a rewarding career to our employees and a tireless commitment to improving patient health.