Sanofi announced it will purchase Protein Sciences, a vaccines biotechnology company located in Meriden, Connecticut. Sanofi will make an upfront payment of $650 million and pay up to $100 million for certain milestones.
Protein Sciences received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in October 2016 for their Flublok Quadrivalent Influenza Vaccine (QIV). According to the companies, Flublok is the only recombinant protein-based influenza vaccine approved by the FDA.
“The acquisition of Protein Sciences will allow us to broaden our flu portfolio with the addition of a non-egg based vaccine,” said David Loew, Sanofi executive vice president and Head of Sanofi Pasteur, Sanofi’s vaccines division.
The acquisition is expected to close in the third quarter of 2017, subject to customary regulatory approvals.