Eli Lilly Expands Vaccine Portfolio by Acquiring Three Developers

On May 26, 2026, Eli Lilly announced that it had entered into agreements to acquire LimmaTech Biologics AG, Curevo Inc., and Vaccine Company, Inc. as part of its expanded research and development efforts in infectious disease.

LimmaTech is a Swiss clinical-stage biotech company currently developing vaccines against antibiotic-resistant bacteria, including Staphylococcus aureus, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and Chlamydia trachomatis.  LimmaTech utilizes engineered E. coli strains to produce its self-adjuvanting vaccine candidates.  LimmaTech’s lead vaccine program, LTB-SA7, targets S. aureus and is currently in Phase I development.  As part of the agreement, Lilly will pay up to $780 million in cash to acquire LimmaTech, inclusive of an upfront payment and additional potential payments based on the achievement of certain clinical and regulatory milestones.  Goodwin Procter advised LimmaTech on this transaction.

Curevo is an American clinical-stage biotech company dedicated to developing varicella zoster virus (VZV) vaccines.  Its lead product candidate is amezosvatein—an adjuvanted subunit vaccine against shingles.  Amezosvatein recently completed a Phase II head-to-head clinical trial.  According to Curevo, amezosvatein overcomes tolerability challenges that patients experience with current shingles vaccines.  As part of the agreement, Lilly will pay up to $1.5 billion in cash to acquire Curevo.

Vaccine Company is an American preclinical-stage biotech company developing vaccines based on its proprietary In Vivo Nanoparticle (IVN) technology.  Its lead program includes a five-antigen, Phase I-ready candidate for Epstein-Barr virus.  As part of the agreement, Lilly will pay up to $1.55 billion in cash to acquire Vaccine Company.

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