Omniose, a St. Louis startup focused on developing vaccines to prevent bacterial infections, has inked a research pact with a major, global pharmaceutical firm.
The local firm has inked an exclusive, three-year research agreement with Cambridge, United Kingdom-based AstraZeneca (Nasdaq: AZN) that involves using Omniose’s vaccine development platform to pursue vaccine candidates. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
The agreement provides AstraZeneca exclusive rights to a proprietary bioconjugate vaccine platform developed by Omniose. The companies said the Omniose’s platform “streamlines the manufacturing process” for vaccines compared with other methods used to develop them. The companies did not disclose specific vaccine targets that will be pursued through the research pact, but said there will be a focus on infections that have proved troublesome to treat with antibiotics.
“As serious bacterial infections become increasingly resistant to commonly-used antibiotics, the development of alternative preventative interventions is critical,” said Mark Esser, vice president of early R&D vaccines & immune therapies at AstraZeneca. “As part of our ambition to provide long-lasting immunity to millions of people, we are excited to enter into this scientific collaboration with Omniose to explore the role of this novel bioconjugate platform in developing vaccines for bacterial pathogens.”
Founded in 2017, Omniose (formerly VaxNewMo) has pursued research and development efforts on vaccines for bacterial infections such as Group B Streptococcus and Klebsiella pneumoniae, having found success in using federal funds to advance its vaccine development efforts. The startup will continue its R&D efforts around Group B Streptococcus and Klebsiella pneumoniae using federal funds it has been awarded, said Omniose Chief Scientific Officer Christian Harding. Omniose in October announced it received a $3 million grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the U.S. National Institutes of Health for research and development on a vaccine for Group B Streptococcus. In 2022, it was awarded $3.6 million from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the U.S. National Institutes of Health to advance its vaccine for Klebsiella pneumoniae.
The research partnership with AstraZeneca pairs Omniose with a major player in the pharmaceutical industry. AstraZeneca, with 2022 revenue of $44.4 billion, has developed and commercialized an array of health care products. It developed a Covid-19 vaccine and a respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine.
Harding said a vaccine company like Omniose faces two likely paths in getting its vaccines to patients. He said companies can self-fund, but that it requires massive investment to build out manufacturing capabilities. The other option is to find a strategic partner, he said. He said finding a corporate partner is especially important in an industry that is “top-heavy” with a small group of companies that have outsized market share.
“To find your strategic collaborator and actually execute a deal and align on exclusivity for three years, it’s the holy grail for vaccine companies,” Harding said.
Omniose has eight full-time employees, a figure Harding said he’d like to double. He said the company doesn't have a specific timeline on its hiring growth, instead putting a focus on ensuring it adds the right staff as it expands.
