Swiss-based biotech company LimmaTech Biologics AG (LimmaTech Bio) announced on Thursday an in-license agreement with GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals SA, the Belgian arm of global biopharma company GSK plc (LSE:GSK) (NYSE:GSK) enabling LimmaTech Bio to advance the development and commercialisation of a quadrivalent bioconjugate vaccine candidate for shigellosis.

A severe diarrhoeal infection, shigellosis poses a significant global health threat with high mortality and morbidity rates in low- and middle-income countries.

The vaccine candidate comprises antigens from the four most relevant Shigella bacterial strains and is currently in Phase I/II dose-finding and age-descending (adults-children-infants) double-blind clinical trials to assess safety and immunogenicity in the 9-month-old infants target population.

Phase I/II study results are anticipated later in 2023. If successful, this will pave the way for efficacy trials in the target paediatric population as well as travellers and military personnel in Shigella endemic regions.

With an estimated 188 million Shigella infections annually, including 62.3 million in children under 5 years old, the impact of the disease on public health is considerable. Current treatments involve oral rehydration and antibiotic therapy, but the emergence of antibiotic-resistant strains makes treatment increasingly challenging. Currently there are no licensed Shigella vaccines available.