Canada's National Research Council in Vaccines Deal

US-based firm BioVeris has announced an agreement with Canada's state-funded National Research Council on two candidate vaccines. Under the deal, the National Research Council will receive a minimum US$10,000 annual royalty and undisclosed royalties on product sales. In exchange, BioVeris will now have worldwide, exclusive marketing and sales rights on the products, which protect against group B streptococcus Type II and Type V, and group B meningococcus. The former bacterium is a leading cause of sepsis, pneumonia and meningitis in newborn babies, and is fatal in about 20% of adult sufferers.