CV09050101 mRNA vaccine(CureVac)

In conjunction with the restructuring, CureVac anticipates a reduction in operational expenses by 30% from 2025. Credit: IM Imagery / Shutterstock. Curevac has announced a restructuring plan aimed at sharpening its focus on high-value messenger RNA (mRNA) projects, particularly in the field of oncology and areas with unmet medical needs. The move involves a workforce reduction of 30%, streamlining the company to foster technological innovation and development. The restructuring follows a new licensing agreement executed with GSK , valued at €1.45bn ($1.56bn) plus royalties. GSK will take over the development, manufacture and commercialisation of vaccines for Covid-19 and influenza, including combination vaccines. CureVac anticipates a reduction in operational expenses by more than 30% from next year, including a €25m decrease in personnel costs. See Also: Biogen completes $1.15bn HI-Bio acquisition to expand immunology presence EMA approves Sanofi’s Dupixent for COPD treatment in adults The company estimates it will incur one-time restructuring charges of around €15m, related to employee severance and associated expenditures, expected in the fourth quarter of 2024. These charges are based on assumptions including local legal requirements, and actual costs may vary significantly from the estimates. The cost savings, coupled with an upfront payment of €400m and potential milestones up to €1.05bn plus tiered royalties from the GSK deal, are expected to extend CureVac’s financial runway into 2028. CureVac CEO Dr Alexander Zehnder stated: “The new GSK agreement not only provides substantial financing but also allows us to streamline our operations and focus on technology innovation, research and development. “It enables us to prioritise our oncology programs and further leverage our technology in other areas where mRNA is uniquely suited to develop novel treatment approaches. “While the 30% workforce reduction is a difficult decision on a personal level, I am convinced that this is a necessary step to ensure the long-term success of CureVac.” CureVac plans to release data from the Phase I clinical trial of its cancer vaccine candidate, CVGBM, to treat glioblastoma, in the second half of 2024. The company also intends to have two clinical candidates for shared-antigen cancer vaccines in both solid tumour and haematological cancers by the end of 2025. mRNA vaccine coverage on Pharmaceutical Technology (Or Clinical Trials Arena)  is supported by Trilink . Editorial content is independently produced and follows the highest standards of journalistic integrity. Topic sponsors are not involved in the creation of editorial content. Free Whitepaper mRNA capping: low cost, high reward Are you aware of the latest mRNA capping techniques? The success of mRNA-based Covid vaccines has seen the technology boom in popularity – but capping is an essential part of the manufacturing process, and pharmaceutical firms face a range of choices on how to do it. This free whitepaper assesses differences in price, time, complexity and availability for the methods on offer – and provides essential insights on TriLink’s trailblazing CleanCap® approach. Fill in your details to find out more. Thank you. You will receive an email shortly. Please check your inbox to download the Whitepaper. By Trilink Thematic By downloading this case study, you acknowledge that GlobalData may share your information with Trilink Thematic and that your personal data will be used as described in their Privacy Policy

GSK will pay €400 million ($430 million) upfront to CureVac to assume full control of developing and manufacturing mRNA-based vaccines for infectious diseases that stem from a pact between the companies initially signed in 2020. The new licensing deal also includes milestones of up to €1.05 billion ($1.1 billion), as well as tiered sales royalties.According to GSK, the restructured agreement is the latest in its ongoing investment in vaccine platform technologies, matching the best platform to each pathogen. The collaboration with CureVac has led to vaccine candidates for seasonal influenza and COVID-19 in Phase II development, as well as an avian influenza jab in Phase I.Tony Wood, chief scientific officer at GSK, suggested that gaining full control of the programmes will allow it to apply the company’s “capabilities, partnerships and intellectual property to CureVac’s technology,” to develop the vaccines “at pace.”Meanwhile, CureVac chief executive Alexander Zehnder noted that the revised agreement with GSK “puts us in a strong financial position,” extending its cash runway into 2028. However, Zehnder indicated that the move “also allows us to streamline our operations,” with around 30% of its workforce being trimmed.The revised deal “enables us to prioritise our oncology programmes and further leverage our technology in other areas where mRNA is uniquely suited to develop novel treatment approaches,” Zehnder added. CureVac expects to report data from a Phase I study of its cancer vaccine candidate CVGBM in glioblastoma in the second half, with plans to have two clinical candidates for shared-antigen cancer vaccines in solid tumour and haematological cancers by the end of 2025.