Imaxio Signs an Option for a License Agreement with Merial

Imaxio has announced the signing of an option for a license agreement with Merial, the animal health division of Sanofi.

The aim of this agreement is to develop an animal health vaccine based on Imaxio’s immune-enhancing IMX313 technology.

Merial will conduct an internal review of the IMX313 technology for a period of 12 to 18 months and depending on results, will sign a license agreement.

Details of the vaccine candidate and the financial terms of the agreement have not been disclosed.

The aim of IMX313, Imaxio’s proprietary technology for antigen re-engineering, is to significantly enhance the immune response and therefore, the efficacy of vaccines with which it is used.

In response to the challenge of certain inefficacious vaccine candidates, IMX313 is a high-potential solution, which would not only enable the dose to be reduced but also the number of revaccinations needed.

"This agreement with a world leader in the animal health sector such as Merial further confirms the significance of our IMX313 technology in developing more efficacious vaccines," said Alexandre Le Vert, managing director of Imaxio.

Vert continued, "We are committed to pursuing partnerships to license our immune-enhancing IMX313 technology for new indications. This will enable us to offer even more innovative solutions for key players in the animal health sector and on a larger scale, for vaccinations in general."

“Merial is a clear leader in the development and commercial registration of new vaccine technologies in animal health. We are very pleased to assess the progress of Imaxio’s IMX313 technology and this fits very well into the current strategic needs of Merial,” said Jean-Christophe Audonnet, senior director, research strategy and key alliances, Bio R&D Merial.

Audonnet continued, “This collaboration is an excellent example of the increase in opportunities created in the Lyonbiopole regional cluster.”