Valneva evaluating development of Zika vaccine

French biotech firm Valneva (Euronext: VLA), a leading pure play vaccine company, says that it is evaluating the development of a Zika vaccine as the virus is spreading rapidly through the Americas. Valneva’s shares gained 8.8% to 3.34 euros following the announcement.

The World Health Organization declared Zika an international health emergency yesterday. The WHO had estimated that as many as 4 million people could be affected by the virus as it spreads in Latin America and the Caribbean to North America in the coming months

The Zika virus is related to the Japanese encephalitis virus, also an arthropod-borne flavivirus transmitted through mosquito bites, against which Valneva has already developed a vaccine (Ixiaro/Jespect), which is now commercialized in the USA, Europe, Canada, and other territories. In the USA, Valneva has an agreement with Sanofi subsidiary VaxServe to distribute Ixiaro (The Pharma Letter November 10, 2015)