From Brisbane to London to Paris: Vicebio´s Sanofi deal

What began in the labs of the University of Queensland has now set the stage for one of Europe’s largest biotech acquisitions of the year. Sanofi has announced it will acquire UK-based vaccine developer Vicebio for $1.15 billion upfront, with an additional $450 million tied to clinical milestones—underscoring a major commitment to next-generation respiratory vaccines.

The core of the deal is Vicebio’s “molecular clamp” technology, originally pioneered by Australian researchers to lock viral proteins in their original shape, allowing the immune system to better recognise and destroy pathogens. Although the early version of the technology showed promise in a COVID-19 vaccine, development was halted after it caused false positives on HIV tests. That issue has since been resolved, paving the way for a second-generation clamp now undergoing clinical testing.

Vicebio, founded in London by venture capital firm Medicxi in 2019, has built on the Australian discovery, refining it into a pipeline of respiratory virus vaccines. Its lead candidate, VXB-241, targets RSV and human metapneumovirus and is currently in Phase I trials. A second candidate, addressing RSV, hMPV, and parainfluenza virus type 3, is expected to follow into trials shortly. Programmes for avian influenza and SARS-CoV-2 are also in the works.

The acquisition is striking not just for its size—rarely do European biotech deals breach the billion-dollar threshold—but for what it signals: Sanofi’s clear intention to lead in pandemic preparedness and ageing-related respiratory illness. With RSV outbreaks on the rise and an ageing population increasingly vulnerable, the strategic value of such vaccines is only growing.

“Our goal in launching Vicebio was to translate a bold scientific idea into real-world impact,” said Giovanni Mariggi, Chairman of Vicebio and Partner at Medicxi. “It’s deeply rewarding to see this innovation move forward with the support of a global player like Sanofi.”

From Queensland’s university labs to the clinical corridors of Europe, the journey of the molecular clamp now enters its most promising phase yet—backed by one of the world’s pharmaceutical heavyweights.