Osivax bags flu vaccine rights to pursue combination shot vision

Biotech Osivax bags flu vaccine rights to pursue combination shot vision By Nick Paul Taylor Aug 27, 2026 10:00am Osivax flu flu vaccine influenza vaccine Osivax has licensed an influenza vaccine from GC Biopharma, positioning the biotech to build on early evidence that its midphase candidate complements traditional flu shots. France’s Osivax will lead development of a combination vaccine candidate that pairs its OVX836 with the newly licensed GC FLU. OVX836 is an influenza A vaccine candidate that targets the nucleoprotein (NP), a highly conserved internal antigen.

GC FLU is an inactivated seasonal influenza vaccine designed to trigger antibody responses against hemagglutinin surface antigens from A and B forms of the flu virus. Osivax has secured a non-exclusive license to GC FLU outside of Japan and Korea. The French biotech will be responsible for development and commercialization of the combination vaccine outside of Korea, GC Biopharma’s home market.

GC Biopharma will supply its vaccine and receive royalties. The vaccine combination reflects evidence that adding OVX836 to a traditional flu vaccine could broaden protection against influenza A. Vaccines such as GC FLU induce antibody responses against proteins on the surface of flu viruses.

Because the prevalent surface proteins change over time, manufacturers need to update vaccines for each season and even then only partly hit the moving target, diminishing efficacy. The NP targeted by OVX836 is well-conserved across influenza A strains. Using OVX836 to trigger a T-cell response against NP could complement the antibody responses caused by conventional vaccines, making a combination more effective than either shot in isolation.

Osivax generated early evidence to support that idea in a phase 2a study that tested OVX836 with GSK’s Fluarix Tetra. The biotech came away from the trial, which enrolled 60 healthy volunteers, believing that synergistic immune responses and broader cross-protection could make the combination more effective than current monotherapy vaccines. Osivax also tested the combination in a larger phase 2 study.

Participants in the combination trials have received separate injections of OVX836 and Fluarix Tetra. The potential for co-administration to depress vaccination rates, especially among people afraid of needles, led Osivax to seek to develop a single shot that combines OVX836 with an inactivated influenza vaccine. The GC Biopharma deal gives Osivax the building blocks of the combination vaccine.

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