Cidara, a small San Diego-based pharmaceutical company, has achieved what the scientific community has dreamed of for decades: the startup has developed a vaccine that combats all forms of influenza. Following successful clinical trials, pharmaceutical giant Merck announced it is acquiring the startup in a deal valued at $9.2 billion.
Unlike conventional vaccines, which train the body to recognize specific strains and often have an efficacy of only 30%–60%, Cidara’s molecule, CD388, belongs to an entirely new class of antiviral drugs.
After completing the replication cycle within a host cell, viral particles leave the cell surface to infect other cells. CD388 inhibits this process, leaving the virus “tethered” to the cell membrane. Consequently, the virus loses its ability to spread and becomes non-pathogenic.
In a Phase 2b clinical trial involving 5,000 participants, the drug demonstrated a 76% efficacy rate. The final phase of the study is currently underway with 6,000 participants, including individuals over the age of 65 and those with weakened immune systems. Interim results are expected in the first quarter of 2026.
If everything proceeds according to plan, the “universal flu vaccine” will become available by the summer of 2027. The U.S. government has already allocated $339 million to the project, as it considers the local production of this drug critical for pandemic preparedness.
For CEO Jeff Stein, this marks the third successful startup he has sold to a major corporation. However, saving this project was no simple feat.
The crisis began in 2023 when the lead investor, Johnson & Johnson, unexpectedly halted its infectious disease research division. Facing the threat of the project’s closure, Stein executed an unprecedented operation: in just 24 hours, he signed three fundamental agreements. He reclaimed the intellectual property rights for the drug, restructured the company’s capital, and secured the necessary investment to continue clinical trials.
This strategic maneuver earned the startup immediate market confidence. The company’s stock price surged from 50 cents to $220, ultimately paving the way for the $9.2 billion agreement with Merck.
წყარო: Times West Virginian
