Pfizer buys ReViral to add RSV drug candidate to vaccine program

The Novo Holdings portfolio company ReViral has been acquired by US pharma giant Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) for up to $525 million in total deal value.

Founded in 2011, ReViral has bases in London, UK, and Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, and is a privately-held clinical-stage biopharma focused on discovering, developing, and commercializing novel antiviral therapeutics that target respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

Pfizer says that this acquisition complements the vaccine candidate in development for RSV, which is a respiratory pathogen that can lead to severe and life-threatening lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) in high-risk populations, including young infants, immunocompromised individuals, and older adults. It is estimated to infect approximately 64 million people, resulting in about 160,000 deaths, globally each year.