Sanofi Pasteur to purchase Acambis

Sanofi-Avents has announced that its parent company Sanofi Pasteur Holding has signed an agreement with Acambis to purchase its entire issued and to-be-issued share capital.

Under the terms of the deal, Sanofi Pasteur will pay a total of 276 million pounds, equal to 190 pence per share, to acquire the firm.

It notes Acambis is a London Stock Exchange-listed company that develops novel vaccines designed to improve on current standards of care or address unmet medical needs.

Products included in Acambis’ portfolio include ACAM2000 – a licensed smallpox vaccine and programmes partnered with Sanofi-Aventis to develop and commercialise vaccines against Dengue, Japanese Encephalitis and West Nile Virus.

It also has early-stage proprietary programmes in Clostridum difficile, genital herpes and influenza.

Wayne Pisano, president and chief executive officer of Sanofi Pasteur said: “We are delighted that the board of Acambis has unanimously agreed to recommend our proposed acquisition.”

He added that the acquisition was mutually beneficial and a logical step that built upon their decade-long partnership on important projects.

Last month, Sanofi-Pasteur announced the inauguration of a high-tech vaccination production facility designed to cope with a rising world demand.