AstraZeneca acquires Omniose to expand bacterial vaccine development capabilities

UK—AstraZeneca has agreed to acquire US-based vaccine technology startup Omniose following a two-year research partnership, strengthening its efforts to develop vaccines against drug-resistant bacterial infections.

Under the agreement, whose financial terms remain undisclosed, Omniose will become a wholly owned subsidiary within AstraZeneca’s infectious disease business.

The acquisition gives the pharmaceutical company access to Omniose’s proprietary bioconjugation platform, which is designed to simplify the development and production of bacterial conjugate vaccines.

Bioconjugation technology at the centre of the deal

Omniose’s platform enables the production and attachment of bacterial polysaccharides to engineered carrier proteins within a single bacterial cell.

These components form the basis of conjugate vaccines, which train the immune system to recognise and respond to specific bacterial pathogens.

The technology offers an alternative to conventional chemical conjugation methods, which can involve complex manufacturing processes and present challenges when production scales up.

By combining the production and attachment processes in one bacterial cell, Omniose aims to make vaccine development more efficient and precise.

According to Benjamin Moutier, senior vice-president of infectious diseases at AstraZeneca, the platform provides a differentiated approach to conjugate vaccine engineering.

He said the technology would support the development of new vaccines against serious bacterial infections affecting patients.

Focus on antimicrobial resistance

The acquisition follows a three-year exclusive research collaboration the two companies established in 2024.

The partnership focused on developing bioconjugate vaccines against multidrug-resistant bacteria, including pathogens for which preventive vaccines remain difficult to develop.

The investment comes as antimicrobial resistance (AMR) continues to undermine the effectiveness of existing treatments.

Drug-resistant pathogens, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), drug-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae and Mycobacterium tuberculosis, present growing challenges for healthcare systems.

Vaccines could help reduce the incidence of these infections and limit reliance on antibiotics.

Although the companies have not disclosed which bacterial targets will receive priority under the expanded arrangement, Omniose has previously published research involving several clinically significant pathogens.

Its research portfolio includes Klebsiella pneumoniae, a bacterium associated with pneumonia and urinary tract infections, as well as members of the Moraxellaceae family.

The company has also reported preclinical mouse study findings for an invasive pneumococcal disease vaccine candidate, which protected animals against systemic infection.

Global AMR burden drives vaccine research

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that bacterial AMR was associated with approximately 4.7 million deaths worldwide in 2021.

Its surveillance findings also indicate that one in six laboratory-confirmed bacterial infections globally in 2023 involved bacteria resistant to antibiotic treatments.

The agency identifies the misuse and overuse of antimicrobials as major contributors to resistance.

Limited access to effective vaccines and diagnostics also complicates efforts to prevent and manage drug-resistant infections.

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