Sanofi to acquire hepatitis B vaccine maker Dynavax for $2.2 billion

By Bhanvi Satija

Dec 24 (Reuters) - Sanofi (SNY) volition bargain U.S. vaccines institution Dynavax Technologies (DVAX) for astir $2.2 cardinal (1.9 cardinal euros), the French drugmaker said connected Wednesday, a woody that volition springiness it entree to an approved hepatitis ​B vaccine.

Sanofi has made a drawstring of acquisitions this year, arsenic it looks to diversify maturation beyond ‌its blockbuster asthma cause Dupixent. It bought UK backstage biotech steadfast Vicebio for $1.5 cardinal successful July soon aft finalising an up to $9.5 cardinal woody for U.S.-based ‌rare illness drugmaker BluePrint Medicines.

The institution volition wage $15.50 successful currency per stock of Dynavax, representing a 39% premium implicit the vaccine maker's closing stock terms of $11.13 connected Tuesday. Shares of Dynavax jumped 37.5% to $15.31 successful U.S. pre-market hours connected Wednesday.

Sanofi said it expected to implicit the acquisition successful the archetypal 4th of 2026 and said it would usage disposable cash. The woody would not impact ⁠its 2025 fiscal outlook, it added.

Its shares slipped ‌0.5% .

The woody marks Sanofi's 2nd acquisition this twelvemonth to grow its vaccine portfolio and comes astatine a clip of large argumentation overhauls successful the U.S.

Health caput Robert F. Kennedy Jr ‍has taken purpose astatine vaccines, cutting backing for probe and ousting the caput of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which makes vaccine recommendations. Advisers precocious scrapped a long-standing proposal that each American newborns person the hepatitis B shot.

Earlier this year, Sanofi had flagged little ​vaccination rates partially owed to a "negative buzz" astir vaccines.

British rival GSK had besides flagged unit successful U.S. vaccine sales, ‌and Australian biotech CSL delayed plans to rotation disconnected its vaccine part citing "heightened volatility" and a greater than expected diminution successful U.S. rates.

The woody volition springiness Sanofi entree to an experimental shingles vaccine, which is successful aboriginal signifier testing. J.P. Morgan analysts said it would beryllium a bully acceptable for the drugmaker.

"Z-1018 does connection imaginable for upside to this representation if the aboriginal information tin beryllium replicated successful larger trials," they said successful a note, adding that Dynavax's experimental changeable had ⁠potential to instrumentality a stock successful the shingles market, wherever GSK's ​Shringix is connected way for income of 4 cardinal euros this year.

Separately, Sanofi ​said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration had declined to o.k. its experimental cause tolebrutinib to dainty patients with a signifier of aggregate sclerosis.

"We judge that the FDA should besides instrumentality the proposal ‍of technological experts, clinicians, and ⁠patients successful this substance to guarantee each perspectives are considered," said Houman Ashrafian, Sanofi's caput of probe and development.