UK-based startup Vicebio has raised $100m to advance its “next-generation vaccines” for respiratory illnesses, including respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) to Phase I trials.
Vicebio is the latest biotech to eye up the RSV market, a space that has seen a buzz of development over the last year. Pharma giants GSK, Pfizer and Moderna have all brought vaccines for the illness to the market.
The $100m Series B round was led by TCGX with investment from Goldman Sachs Alternatives, Avoro Ventures, venBio, and participation from UniQuest and founding investor Medicxi.
Vicebio’s chairman Giovanni Mariggi said: “Vicebio has made significant progress in developing its Molecular Clamp platform and successfully advanced VXB-241 which offers unmatched vaccine coverage against respiratory viruses.”
London-headquartered Vicebio has initiated a Phase I clinical trial (NCT06556147) of its bivalent vaccine VXB-241 that targets both RSV and human metapneumovirus (hMPV) viruses. The trial will evaluate four dose levels of the vaccine in up to 136 subjects. Research is still early, with topline data not expected until mid-2025. Vicebio will also use the funds to develop VXB-251, a trivalent vaccine targeting RSV, hMPV, and parainfluenza virus 3 (PIV3).
Both VXB-241 and VXB-251 have been developed with Vicebio’s “molecular clamp” technology. This helps to keep viral glycoproteins in a specific shape that makes the immune system respond better. By doing this, it helps the body produce stronger protection against the virus. These vaccines are designed to be easy to manufacture and come ready in pre-filled syringes.
RSV is a common virus that affects the respiratory system and can cause serious illness in infants and the elderly. GSK secured the first US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for an adult RSV vaccine in May 2023, called Arexvy. Pfizer’s Abrysvo and Moderna’s mRESVIA followed close behind, winning approvals in May 2023 and June 2024, respectively.
However, no approved vaccines target both RSV and hMPV, allowing Vicebio to establish a unique position in this increasingly competitive arena. The company will be competing against AstraZeneca’s RSV and hMPV combo vaccine IVX-A12, which it inherited as part of its $1.1bn Icosavax acquisition. AstraZeneca said that the vaccine is Phase III ready but no pivotal trial has yet been initiated.
