Elaris Secures Exclusive Global License from Valneva for C. difficile Vaccine Program
VIENNA, Austria, March 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Elaris FlexCo ("Elaris"), an Austrian biotechnology company developing vaccines against serious bacterial infections, today announced an exclusive global license agreement with Valneva SE (NASDAQ:VALN, PARIS:VLA) for technology related to Valneva's Clostridioides difficile vaccine candidate, VLA84.
Under the agreement, Elaris obtains an exclusive global license to Valneva's antigen technology targeting Clostridioides difficile. Building on this technology, Elaris plans to advance a next-generation vaccine program incorporating additional proprietary components designed to broaden protective immune responses. The agreement strengthens Elaris' intellectual property position and supports advancement of its lead vaccine program.
Elaris plans to advance the program through IND-enabling development with the goal of initiating clinical studies around 2027.
"Securing this license represents an important step toward our goal of preventing serious bacterial infections that disproportionately affect aging and vulnerable populations," said Jason Golan, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Elaris. "Clostridioides difficile remains a major hospital-acquired infection with high recurrence rates and limited preventive options. By building on Valneva's antigen technology with additional proprietary components, we aim to develop a differentiated vaccine designed to broaden protection against C. difficile infection (CDI)."
CDI is a leading cause of hospital-acquired infections worldwide and represents a significant burden on healthcare systems. In the United States alone, the disease causes nearly 500,000 infections annually and approximately 29,000 deaths, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In Europe, CDI is estimated to cause more than 170,000 healthcare-associated infections each year. Despite this burden and high recurrence rates following treatment, no prophylactic vaccine is currently approved to prevent CDI.
The agreement includes customary development, regulatory and commercial milestone payments, as well as royalties on future net sales.
"CDI continues to pose a significant public health challenge," said Thomas Lingelbach, Chief Executive Officer of Valneva. "We are pleased to partner with Elaris to advance this technology and look forward to seeing the program progress as Elaris continues development."
About Clostridioides difficile
C. difficile is a toxin-producing bacterium and a leading cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhea and colitis, particularly in hospital and long-term care settings. Infection often occurs following disruption of the gut microbiome caused by antibiotic therapy. Recurrence rates after treatment remain high, and severe cases can lead to life-threatening complications.
About Elaris
Elaris is a biotechnology company developing next-generation bacterial vaccines to protect aging and medically vulnerable populations from serious bacterial diseases. Its lead program is a differentiated vaccine designed to prevent Clostridioides difficile, a severe hospital-acquired infection that primarily affects elderly and immunocompromised patients. By shifting the focus from treatment to prevention, Elaris aims to reduce hospitalizations, antibiotic use, and the growing burden of antimicrobial resistance.
For more information, visit www.elaris.com.
Investor & Media Contact
Jason Golan
Chief Executive Officer
[email protected]
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SOURCE Elaris