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Canada's Ebola Vaccine Nets Millions For Tiny US Biotech Firm

Posted by Soulskill on from the all-fun-and-games-until-somebody-loses-several-internal-organs dept.

Anita Hunt (lissnup) writes: Iowa-based NewLink Genetics has secured a US$50million deal with pharmaceutical giant Merck for the experimental Ebola vaccine developed by Canadian government scientists. NewLink bought the exclusive commercial licensing rights to Canada's VSV-EBOV in 2010 with a milestone payment of just US$205,000. This is an interesting new twist in a story we've discussed previously, and which continues to draw media attention.

4 of 70 comments (clear)

  1. Oh yeah, almost forgot about Ebola... by dywolf · · Score: 4, Insightful

    ...since it's no longer the crisis du jour.

    What with the elections over, everyone stopped talking about it.
    Like it magically no longer mattered. And the disease just went away.
    (of course, it'll raging in Africa...but apparently we dont care about that)

    And the promised massive epidemic sweeping the nation....never materialized.
    Why, it's almost like all those people at the CDC....they actually knew what they were talking about....after 40 years of experience....

    I'm just shocked. Absolutely shocked that a virus whos primary factor in transmission is poor hygeine in poor countries couldnt stand up to the healthcare system in an advanced nation...or even the US*. And all that fear mongering, and calls for travels bans, and mandatory quarentines for people who werent sick wasnt necessary.

    SHOCKING I SAY!

    Hmmm. I wonder if the talking heads and politicians will ever get around to admitting they were wrong, and apologizing.

    (*its a joke! lighten up)

    --
    The guy who said the election was rigged won the presidency with the second-most votes.
  2. Re:Big business by sholden · · Score: 3, Insightful

    NewLink Genetics didn't seem that big.

    Canada just made a very bad deal with them. Then again hindsight and all that, an unproven ebola vaccine was worth less in 2010 than in 2014...

  3. 50 MILLION DOLLARS! by Thanshin · · Score: 3, Insightful

    To read the topic you have to first put a little finger near your mouth.

    Merck Revenue in 2011 alone was a thousand times that.

    The first $500k of the deal were to pay the golden pen they used to sign it. The second $500K, paid dinner, cognac, cigars and the first round of whores.

    1. Re:50 MILLION DOLLARS! by sholden · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Merck revenue is irrelevant.

      Flipping something that cost you $205,000 for $50,000,000 is the relevant part. That usually makes the guy who sold you it for $205,000 look a little stupid.

      Of course an experimental ebola vaccine wasn't worth that much in 2010 since the Africans needing it then didn't have lots of cash to pay for it. However, $200k isn't a huge amount of money for a government either, so you would hope the reason for selling the rights was so that a private party would actually do something to move the thing forward rather than just sitting on it and doing nothing until a white guy got infected and the ebola money jackpot triggered.