The biotech company Curevac has agreed to sell licensing rights for mRNA flu and Covid-19 vaccines to the British pharmaceutical company GSK. The Federal Cartel Office in Bonn has approved the deal, providing Curevac with urgently needed funds.

The vaccine candidates developed based on cooperation agreements between Curevac and GSK are currently in clinical trials. GSK will pay up to 1.45 billion euros to Curevac for the licensing rights, including an upfront payment of 400 million euros. A company spokesperson stated at the headquarters in Tübingen that the transaction is intended to enable Curevac to focus more on research and development and not have to develop all products independently anymore.

Curevac, which was considered a beacon of hope for the development of a Covid-19 vaccine during the pandemic, is currently facing significant difficulties. The company is experiencing problems in clinical trials and is entangled in patent disputes surrounding its mRNA technology. Additionally, a comprehensive corporate restructuring was recently announced, involving the reduction of nearly one-third of its positions and a 30 percent cut in operating costs starting next year.

The federal government supported Curevac during the pandemic with an investment of 300 million euros. Despite this support, Curevac had to withdraw its first COVID-19 vaccine candidate from the approval process due to its relatively low efficacy.

In addition to developing a new second-generation coronavirus vaccine, Curevac is also working on cancer therapy vaccines. However, the company has not yet brought a product to market.

The deal with GSK provides Curevac with a financial breathing space and the opportunity to focus on its core competencies in research. Given the past challenges, it remains to be seen whether Curevac can once again achieve past successes with the new financial resources and focus on research and development in the long term.