Curevo Raises $110M to Challenge GSK's Shingles Vaccine, Recruits Former GSK Leaders

Curevo Vaccine, a Seattle-based biotech company, has secured $110 million in Series B funding to advance its shingles vaccine candidate, amezosvatein. The financing round, led by European biotech VC Medicxi, aims to propel Curevo's efforts to rival GSK's market-leading Shingrix vaccine.

Funding and Strategic Appointments

The Series B round saw participation from new investors OrbiMed, Sanofi Ventures, and HBM Healthcare Investments, alongside existing backers RA Capital Management, Janus Henderson Investors, and Adjuvant Capital. This latest injection of capital nearly doubles Curevo's previous $60 million Series A raised in August 2022, which was later augmented by an additional $26 million in November of the same year.

In a strategic move, Curevo has appointed two former GSK leaders to its board of directors. Dr. Moncef Slaoui, who previously served as GSK's vaccine head and later as chief scientific advisor for Operation Warp Speed, will chair the board. Dr. Tal Zaks, former chief medical officer at Moderna and a veteran of both GSK and Sanofi, joins the board on behalf of OrbiMed.

Amezosvatein: A Potential Shingrix Challenger

Curevo's flagship product, amezosvatein, is a non-mRNA adjuvanted sub-unit vaccine designed to prevent shingles. The company plans to use the new funding to launch a phase 2 extension program, building on promising midstage results that showed a 100% vaccine response rate compared to 97.9% for Shingrix. Notably, amezosvatein was also associated with lower rates of solicited local and systemic adverse events.

The extended program, set to begin in mid-2025, will enroll 640 additional participants to finalize dose selection for the pivotal phase 3 trial. CEO George Simeon emphasized the company's mission to develop varicella zoster virus (VZV) vaccines that enhance both tolerability and efficacy.

Industry Implications and Future Outlook

The entry of Curevo into the shingles vaccine market represents a significant challenge to GSK's Shingrix, which has dominated the field since its introduction. With the backing of experienced industry leaders and substantial financial resources, Curevo is positioned to potentially disrupt the current market dynamics.

Dr. Slaoui expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration, stating, "I'm very excited to work with them to help perfect shingles vaccination, adding good tolerability to the exceptional efficacy achieved by the current vaccine. The data so far show Curevo's adjuvant technology has the attributes to succeed in this endeavor."

As Curevo advances its clinical program, the pharmaceutical industry will be watching closely to see if amezosvatein can deliver on its promise of improved tolerability while maintaining high efficacy in preventing shingles.