Vabiotech to acquire rights to Inviragen JE technology

Vabiotech will use Inviragen's cell-based technology to develop a new vaccine against Japanese encephalitis.

The Company for Vaccine and Biological Production No 1 (Vabiotech) in Vietnam has announced that it is set to acquire the rights to Inviragen's cell-based Japanese encephalitis (JE) technology, with a view to developing a cell-derived vaccine against the disease.

Under the terms of the agreement, Vabiotech will have exclusive rights to develop and sell a JE vaccine based on this technology in Vietnam, Cambodia and Myanmar.

Inviragen will be eligible for development-based milestone payments in return.

It is hoped that any new vaccine resulting from the deal will offer improved manufacturing consistency and safety over existing animal-derived products.

Professor Dr Nguyen Thu Van, director general of Vabiotech, said: "The technology licensed from Inviragen will help advance our JE vaccine production technology."

He added that the company has made "great strides" in controlling the spread of the disease in Vietnam and looks forward to incorporating the new vaccine technology into its JE programme.

Dr Joseph Santangelo, Inviragen's chief operating officer, added that Vabiotech is the "ideal partner" for the company's JE vaccine technology.