Valneva signs new JE vaccine contract with US government

French biotech Valneva (Euronext: VLA), a leading pure play vaccine company, has signed a new contract, lasting up to three years, with the US government Department of Defense (DoD) for the supply of its Japanese encephalitis (JE) vaccine, Ixiaro.

The new contract spans a total of three years (one base year, plus two option years) with a base-year value of $61 million. The DoD has the option to purchase a total of $76 million – $105 million worth of Ixiaro across the two option years. Deliveries for the base-year will commence in the fourth quarter 2020.

This follows a similar contract with the DoD signed in January last year, covering 2019 through the beginning of 2020 with a value of $59 million guaranteed and potentially worth up to $70 million.