Emergent BioSolutions Inc., a specialty biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Gaithersburg, MD, and Rocketvax Ltd, one of Switzerland’s next-generation vaccine companies and a member of the Swiss Rockets Ltd family of companies, have agreed to Emergent’s strategic financial investment into Swiss Rockets Ltd, the parent company of Rocketvax Ltd, to support research, infrastructure development, and the expansion of Swiss Rockets’ innovative biotechnology portfolio. 

In addition to the investment, the companies will form a strategic partnership whereby Emergent would lead the U.S. manufacturing and commercialization efforts for four of Rocketvax’s pipeline candidates for infectious diseases, cancer, and autoimmune disorders. 

For one of these pipeline candidates, Rocketvax Ltd has already signed a letter of intent with the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH). The Rocketvax / NIH collaboration is part of the Project NextGen initiative and will support a clinical trial investigating a next-generation vaccine using Rocketvax Ltd’s proprietary technology.

One of Rocketvax’s candidates is a live-attenuated nasal spray SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, which has been tested in animal studies. Live-attenuated vaccines mimic natural infections more closely, often providing stronger and longer-lasting immunity by stimulating a broader immune response, including mucosal immunity, which is crucial for respiratory infections.

Dr. Vladimir Cmiljanovic, CEO of Rocketvax Ltd, said: “This joint venture not only accelerates the development of next-generation vaccines but also paves the way for groundbreaking advancements in global healthcare.”

Joe Papa, President and CEO of Emergent, commented: “As Rocketvax is poised to progress its pipeline, we will stand ready to leverage our unique capabilities to ultimately bring these solutions to patients and communities in need. These four projects directly support Emergent’s strategic focus on growth and turnaround as part of our multi-year transformation plan.”