Eli Lilly has entered into separate agreements to acquire three vaccine companies – Curevo, LimmaTech Biologics and Vaccine Company – in deals collectively valued at up to USD 3.83 billion. The acquisitions aim to expand Lilly's pipeline in preventative medicine for infectious diseases. Curevo's lead asset, amezosvatein, is an adjuvanted subunit vaccine for shingles prevention in adults that demonstrated improved tolerability in a Phase II head-to-head trial against GSK's Shingrix. LimmaTech is developing vaccines against antibiotic-resistant bacteria, with a candidate (LTB-SA7) for Staphylococcus aureusin in Phase I. Vaccine Company focuses on an in vivo nanoparticle (IVN) technology, initially targeting Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) with a preclinical candidate.

The transactions highlight Lilly's strategic pivot towards preventative healthcare, citing evidence linking common infections to long-term neurological, oncological, and fertility risks. The company aims to combine the acquired platforms and teams with its global scale to address unmet needs in disease prevention, particularly as antibiotic resistance grows. Each deal includes an upfront payment and significant additional milestone-based payments contingent on clinical and commercial success.

According to PharmCube's NextBiopharm® database, this move significantly expands Lilly's vaccine portfolio from 3 to 15 projects. Click here to request a free trial for NextBiopharm®.