Intravacc BV, a Netherlands-based company involved in translational research and development of preventive and therapeutic vaccines, announced on Monday that it has signed an exclusive licensing agreement with Beijing Zhifei Lvzhu Biopharmaceutical Co., Ltd in China for Avacc 3, an OMV-based whooping cough vaccine.

According to the terms of the contract, Zhifei Lvzhu will receive an exclusive license for the Chinese territory and non-exclusive for Africa, South America and selected Asian countries. Intravacc is to receive milestone and upfront payments and royalties over net sales. Both companies will continue to collaborate to tailor the Avacc 3 concept vaccine for the respective territories, including upscaling, toxicology and clinical trials.

Dr Jan Groen, Intravacc's CEO, said, 'We are very pleased to partner with Zhifei helping to improve the prevention of whooping cough in China. This is Intravacc's second OMV-based licensing agreement with a pharmaceutical company, thereby expanding the global reach of our proprietary OMV platform technology.'