VIS signs licence agreement with Valneva SE to support further development of ETEC vaccine technology

Pål Puntervoll, senior researcher, NORCE and Halvor Sommerfelt, professor, University of Bergen.

VIS – Vestlandets Innovasjonsselskap, a leading Norwegian technology transfer office, announces that it has entered into an exclusive licence agreement with specialty vaccine company Valneva SE covering technology related to enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC).

VIS has entered the agreement on behalf of the institutions behind the research: University of Bergen, NORCE Research AS, Institut Pasteur, South Dakota State University, Indian Institute of Science and Tulane University.

The agreement, signed in April 2026, is intended to support development of an ETEC vaccine for both commercial markets and for use in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). It includes defined timelines for development and first commercial sale, it also provides a pathway for first public-sector sales in LMICs. ETEC is a major cause of diarrhoeal disease worldwide and has a particularly severe impact in resource-limited settings. Improved preventive solutions are especially important in regions with a high disease burden, where enteric infections can have broader and lasting consequences for child health and development.

The licensed technology builds on many years of collaborative research aimed at improving the protection against diarrhoeal disease caused by ETEC. A core focus of this work has been the heat-stable toxin (ST), one of ETEC’s key virulence factors and a scientifically challenging vaccine target. Over time, the research programme has contributed both to the design of vaccine-relevant components and to the immunological and clinical knowledge required to advance the field.

The licence agreement provides a structured, long-term development pathway to translate this research into a potential vaccine, both for travellers and for populations in countries bearing the highest disease burden.

“This agreement with Valneva SE represents an important step in advancing research-based technology into development. We are especially pleased that the framework includes clear provisions to support access in LMICs.” Stine Fiksdal, CEO of VIS says.

Yuleima Diaz, senior engineer at NORCE.

About Valneva SE

Valneva is a specialty vaccine company that develops, manufactures, and commercializes prophylactic vaccines for infectious diseases addressing unmet medical needs. We take a highly specialized and targeted approach, applying our deep expertise across multiple vaccine modalities, focused on providing either first-, best- or only-in-class vaccine solutions.

Valneva have a strong track record, having advanced multiple vaccines from early R&D to approvals, and currently market three proprietary travel vaccines. Revenues from our growing commercial business help fuel the continued advancement of our vaccine pipeline. This includes the only Lyme disease vaccine candidate in advanced clinical development, which is partnered with Pfizer, the world’s most clinically advanced Shigella vaccine candidate, as well as vaccine candidates against other global public health threats. More information is available at www.valneva.com.