Vivalis

Vivalis was founded in 1999 with the aim to better understand the extraordinary biological properties of embryonic stem (ES) cells and to use this knowledge for practical applications in human and animal health. ES cells are very unique in that they can self-renew indefinitely in vitro while maintaining a stable chromosomal content, and have unlimited regenerative capacity in vivo. Today, the huge therapeutic and industrial potential of ES cells is widely acknowledged but still mostly untapped. Several years of research investments have made of Vivalis a world leader in ES cells. In particular, the company’s distinctive expertise in the field of avian ES cells has led to the development and successful commercialization of its proprietary EBx® platform, a series of documented cells lines derived from chicken and duck ES cells. Vivalis proprietary EBx® cell lines display unique biological and industrial properties: (1) they grow in suspension in serum-free medium; (2) they reach high cell densities (over 107 cells/ml) in batch and fed-batch bioreactors; (3) they are highly susceptible to most viruses currently produced on chicken eggs or fibroblasts, including human and avian influenza viruses or modern recombinant viruses such as poxviruses; (4) they are immortal, yet genetically stable. Given such remarquable features, EBx® cell lines constitute an innovative, safe and cost-effective production platform that has the potential to rapidly evolve as an industry standard for the manufacture of human and animal vaccines currently produced on the old-fashioned and cumbersome embryonated egg production platform. In addition, avian EBx® cells were demonstrated to be amenable to easy genetic modifications and to produce monoclonal antibodies with favorable glycosylation profiles and enhanced therapeutic profiles. Vivalis has already granted more than 20 research and commercial licences to pharmaceutical and biotech companies to produce vaccines and therapeutic proteins. Commercial licenses include an upfront payment on signing followed by “milestone”, payments at defined points in the development and registration process, and finally, payments of a percentage royalty on future sales of product. Vivalis’ know-how and proprietary technologies are commercially exploited in three main areas:

1 - Development and commercialization of the EBx® technology to manufacture viral vaccines

2 - Development and commercialization of the EBx® technology to manufacture therapeutic proteins and monoclonal antibodies

3 - Build-up of a proprietary portfolio of vaccines and anti-viral molecules