Sanofi to Buy Vicebio for Up to $1.6 Billion in Vaccine Push (3)

Sanofiagreed to buy UK biotech Vicebio Ltd. for as much as $1.6 billion, gaining experimental vaccines and a technology to streamline their development.

The French drugmaker will pay $1.15 billion upfront with a commitment for potential milestones worth as much as $450 million, it said in a statement Tuesday.

Chief Executive Officer Paul Hudson is looking for innovation that fits with Sanofi’s existing offerings, and Vicebio’s experimental shots are intended to prevent several respiratory illnesses including RSV, the target of its new therapy Beyfortus.

Sanofi vaccine manufacturing.

Photographer: Joel Saget/AFP/Getty Images

The transaction helps Sanofi get closer to making next-generation vaccines that offer protection against ...