Preclinical biotechnology company Omniose announced on Tuesday that it has been acquired by biopharmaceutical company AstraZeneca plc (STO:AZN) (LON:AZN) (NYSE:AZN).

This acquisition brings Omniose's proprietary bioconjugation technology and expertise into AstraZeneca's Infectious Disease Unit.

It follows a three-year exclusive research collaboration between the two companies.

Under the agreement, Omniose becomes a wholly owned subsidiary of AstraZeneca, supporting the development of preclinical vaccine programmes and complementing the company's existing capabilities in bacterial vaccines.

Omniose's bioconjugation platform enables bacterial polysaccharides and engineered carrier proteins to be produced and linked within a single cell, potentially simplifying conjugate vaccine manufacturing and improving molecular precision and vaccine quality.

AstraZeneca said the technology strengthens its ability to develop novel vaccines against serious bacterial infections.

Omniose