ACAMBIS, SANOFI PASTEUR ENTER VACCINE PARTNERSHIP

British drugmaker Acambis has signed a partnership agreement with French vaccine company sanofi pasteur, a subsidiary of sanofi-aventis, for ChimeriVax-JE, Acambis' single-dose vaccine against Japanese encephalitis.

Under the agreement, Acambis has granted sanofi pasteur marketing, distribution and certain manufacturing rights to ChimeriVax-JE worldwide, excluding the Indian subcontinent, where Acambis has an existing agreement with Bharat Biotech International, and the U.S., for which sanofi pasteur has been granted an option. Sanofi pasteur plans to introduce the new vaccine in Europe and throughout the Asia-Pacific region, with particular focus on Thailand and China.

Acambis will receive royalties on sales and payment for the supply of bulk manufactured ChimeriVax-JE. In addition, it will receive upfront and milestone payments of up to 30 million euros following marketing authorization of ChimeriVax-JE in key endemic countries and in the European Union. Acambis has already established a large-scale manufacturing process at its facility in the U.S.

According to the World Health Organization, 30,000 to 50,000 people suffer from Japanese encephalitis annually, mainly in Asia.