GlaxoSmithKline on Tuesday (May 31) snapped up US biopharmaceutical firm Affinivax for up to $3.3 billion, expanding further into vaccines before the demerger of its consumer health care arm.
The London-listed company has agreed to pay $2.1 billion upfront and up to $1.2 billion in potential development milestones for Affinivax.
"GSK plc today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Affinivax, Inc," it said in a statement.
"Affinivax is pioneering the development of a novel class of vaccines, the most advanced of which are next-generation pneumococcal vaccines," it added.
The Cambridge, Massachusetts-based firm specialises in vaccines for diseases including meningitis, pneumonia and bloodstream infections.
"The proposed acquisition further strengthens our vaccines research and development (R&D) pipeline, provides access to a new, potentially disruptive technology, and broadens GSK's existing scientific footprint in the Boston area," said GSK's chief scientific officer Hal Barron.