GlaxoSmithKline will sell its meningitis vaccines Nimenrix and Mencevax to Pfizer to satisfy regulatory conditions for its asset-swap deal with Novartis.
The European Commission and other antitrust regulators were concerned because GSK acquired two rival meningitis vaccines – Menveo and Bexsero – from Novartis as part of the deal, which could have given the company too much power in the market.
Nimenrix and Mencevax are older vaccines that had combined sales of £34 million last year. The total value of the transaction with Pfizer is £82 million.
“Adding these two innovative and complementary vaccines to our current portfolio will allow us to more completely respond to meningococcal disease outbreaks as well as proactively address a critical public health need – the prevention of meningococcal disease across all ages,” says Susan Silbermann, president of Pfizer Vaccines.
“Acquiring these quadrivalent vaccines will broaden our ability to address the burden of meningococcal meningitis – an uncommon but serious and sometimes fatal disease.”
Last year Pfizer purchased another meningitis vaccine, Baxter’s NeisVac-C, and had its own serogroup B meningococcal disease drug Trumenba approved.
The sale is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
