The vaccine market may be competitive, but London-based Vicebio is looking to carve out a unique position for itself within it: The startup today announced it has raised $100 million in Series B funding to develop a next-generation vaccine against respiratory viruses.
Vicebio aims to deliver a vaccine that is highly effective, easy to manufacture, and ready to use in a prefilled syringe, and the key to achieving this outcome is the use of a novel approach called molecular clamp technology.
The technology was first invented by a research group led by Paul Young, Daniel Watterson and Keith Chappell at the University of Queensland in Australia and has been exclusively licensed to Vicebio through the university’s commercialization arm, Uniquest.
According to the startup, the molecular clamp has the ability to “fix” proteins on the surface of the virus in a “perfusate” form before the virus attaches to a cell.
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This effect could stimulate a stronger immune response, and it might also enable the startup to simplify the manufacturing process, making the vaccine more cost-effective.
Vaccines against multiple strains of the virus
Viseibio plans to use part of the funding to advance Phase 1 clinical trials of its first vaccine, VXB-241, which targets both respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and human metapneumovirus (hMPV), which particularly affect elderly and immunocompromised patients.
The company also plans to use the funding to expand its vaccine portfolio, which includes developing another combo vaccine targeting respiratory syncytial virus, hMPV, and parainfluenza virus 3 (PIV3).
Medtech venture capital firm TCGX led the funding round, with participation from Goldman Sachs Alternatives, Avolo Ventures, venBio, Uniquest and founding investor Medixy.
Vicebio is focused on easy-to-produce polyvalent vaccines (vaccines that target multiple virus strains simultaneously), which could give the startup an edge in a competitive market.
This is especially true for the company’s VXB-241 vaccine, as there are currently no commercially available vaccines that target both RSV and hMPV, but the company will have to compete with Icosavax, which was recently acquired by AstraZeneca.
Icosavax is progressing into Phase 2 with its RSV/hMPV vaccine, and Vicebio expects Phase 1 results for VXB-241 in mid-2025.
