UQ vaccine tech strikes billion-dollar deal
The University of Queensland’s Molecular Clamp Technology has been sold to one of the world’s largest healthcare companies for US$1.6 billion.
Biopharmaceutical company Vicebio began developing the Molecular Clamp Technology in 2018 to create vaccines for respiratory viral infections.
French-headquartered pharmaceutical company Sanofi has acquired Vicebio in the largest deal involving intellectual property from an Australian university, for US$1.6 billion or about AUD$2.4 billion.
University of Queensland (UQ) will continue to use the technology for pandemic preparation research in collaboration with the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI).
UQ Vice-Chancellor Professor Deborah Terry AC said this opportunity would accelerate the development of the technology to a global scale.
“This extraordinary outcome validates 12 years of UQ research, and I pay tribute to the dedicated UQ scientists who invented the patented Molecular Clamp technology,” Terry said.
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The Vice-Chancellor also thanked the minds behind the technology, Professor Keith Chappell, Professor Daniel Watterson and Emeritus Professor Paul Young.
Development Process
The Molecular Clamp Technology first garnered international attention in 2020 when CEPI asked UQ to work on a potential COVID-19 vaccine.
Professor Chappell said the technology’s most important feature is that it streamlines vaccine development across different viral families.
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“This is incredibly important for outbreak responses but facilitates the efficient development of multi-pathogen vaccines that we believe will protect vulnerable populations against common viruses that cause severe respiratory diseases,” he said.
Professor Chappell said the rapid development of this technology was due to funding from the Australian and Queensland governments.
UQ announced a partnership with CEPI in 2019 to develop a rapid-response vaccine platform to prevent infectious diseases.
Commercialisation
Vicebio was created and funded by European investment firm Medicxi, a life sciences investment fund.
UQ is a Vicebio shareholder through direct investment and licensing of the technology for commercialisation through UniQuest. Vicebio shareholders will receive up to US$1.6 billion through upfront and development payments.
Vice Chancellor Terry said UQ is leading the university sector in commercialisation in Australasia by creating over 130 startup companies using UQ intellectual property.
“This deal highlights the strength of the Australian innovation ecosystem and the world-class research emerging from our universities,” said Terry.
