GSK buys full rights to COVID, influenza vaccines from CureVac

(Reuters) – GSK has bought from CureVac (DE:), (O:) the full rights to develop and manufacture vaccine candidates for influenza and COVID-19 that use messenger RNA (mRNA) technology for up to 1.05 billion euros ($1.13 billion), it said on Wednesday.

The deal is the result of restructuring a collaboration, which began in 2020 to develop mRNA-based vaccines for infectious diseases, into a new licensing agreement, GSK added.

As a result of the collaboration, the two companies have vaccine candidates for seasonal influenza and COVID-19 in phase II clinical development and avian influenza in phase I clinical development.

The new deal includes CureVac getting an upfront payment of 400 million euros and up to 1.05 billion euros in milestone and royalty payments.

($1 = 0.9313 euros)