GSK licenses Shigella vaccine candidate to Bharat Biotech

UK pharma major GSK (LSE: GSK) today revealed that it has licensed its Shigella vaccine candidate, altSonflex1-2-3, to India’s Bharat Biotech International (BBIL).

The agreement paves the way for the ongoing development and potential distribution of the vaccine in low-and-middle-income countries where Shigella, the leading bacterial cause of diarrhoea, poses a significant health threat to children under five. No financial terms of the collaboration have been disclosed.

As of now, no approved Shigella vaccine is available. However, the global market opportunity for a vaccine against Shigella is estimated to exceed $500 million annually.