Research led by the University of Bergen (UiB) and NORCE may help pave the way for a new vaccine targeting one of the world’s leading causes of severe diarrheal disease. The technology has now been licensed to the international vaccine company Valneva, which will take the work forward toward a potential future vaccine.
“This is an important milestone for the research we have carried out with international partners over many years. The licensing agreement shows that our results have strong potential and are considered highly relevant for continued vaccine development,” says Professor Halvor Sommerfelt at the Faculty of Medicine, UiB.
The research is the result of an international collaboration involving UiB, NORCE, Institut Pasteur, the Indian Institute of Science, Tulane University, and South Dakota State University. The agreement with Valneva was facilitated by VIS (Vestlandets Innovasjonsselskap), which manages the commercial rights to the technology on behalf of the research institutions.
The goal is to develop a vaccine against enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC), a bacterium responsible for millions of diarrheal cases each year. The disease disproportionately affects children in low‑ and middle‑income countries, where severe intestinal infections can have long‑term consequences for health and development.
“This is an important step in moving research findings from the laboratory into concrete vaccine development. We are especially pleased that the agreement also supports future access in low‑ and middle‑income countries, where the need is greatest,” says Stine Fiksdal, CEO of VIS.
Decades of research behind the agreement
The licensed technology builds on research that began in 2009 and stems from an ETEC research program led from Bergen since the 1980s. A central focus has been the human heat‑stable toxin (STh), one of ETEC’s key disease‑causing molecules and one of the most challenging targets for vaccine development.
“We have not been looking for a single breakthrough. Instead, we have worked systematically to address the challenges that have made STh such a difficult vaccine target. Through rational design and the gradual accumulation of knowledge, we have developed a technology that is now ready for further development,” says researcher Pål Puntervoll at NORCE.
Under the licensing agreement, Valneva receives exclusive rights to advance the technology. The agreement covers both commercial markets and a defined pathway toward future public procurement programs in low‑ and middle‑income countries.
Potential global impact
ETEC is one of the most common bacterial causes of diarrheal disease worldwide and remains a major public health challenge. Despite extensive research, there is still no vaccine that provides broad and effective protection.
“ETEC infections are a major cause of diarrheal disease among children in low‑ and middle‑income countries. Particularly important are the STh‑producing strains, which account for much of the severe disease burden and against which children develop natural immunity less effectively. This is why we have focused on developing technology that can help protect against diarrhea caused by STh‑producing ETEC,” says Sommerfelt.
The new agreement provides a strong foundation for moving the technology from academic research into industrial development, with the long‑term goal of making it accessible to those who need it most.
“Our long‑term objective is to contribute to vaccines that can reduce the substantial disease burden ETEC imposes on children in low‑ and middle‑income countries. The licensing agreement with Valneva is an important step toward that goal,” say Sommerfelt and Puntervoll.