Affinivax
Affinivax is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, now a GSK subsidiary, that developed the proprietary MAPS vaccine platform and lead 24-valent pneumococcal candidate AFX3772 to prevent Streptococcus pneumoniae infections in adults and pediatric populations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersCambridge, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Affinivax does
Affinivax is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company founded in 2014 and based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, that developed next-generation vaccines targeting infectious diseases, with a primary focus on Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcal disease). The company's core innovation is the Multiple Antigen Presenting System (MAPS), a proprietary vaccine technology platform that enables precise, high-affinity binding of pathogen-derived polysaccharides and proteins of immune relevance into a single vaccine complex. The MAPS platform supports higher valency than conventional conjugation technologies and elicits both B-cell (antibody) and T-cell immune responses, with a plug-and-play architecture intended for application across multiple infectious disease indications.
The company's most advanced asset, AFX3772, is a 24-valent pneumococcal vaccine candidate that received FDA Breakthrough Therapy designation in July 2021 for prevention of S. pneumoniae invasive disease and pneumonia in adults 50 years and above. Phase I/II adult trials showed favorable tolerability and immune responses compared with the current standard of care, and Phase II pediatric trials were initiated in June 2022. A 30-plus valent preclinical pneumococcal candidate and a CARB-X-funded program targeting antibiotic-resistant infections demonstrate platform extensibility. Affinivax raised approximately $377.5 million across multiple private funding rounds from a syndicate including T. Rowe Price, BlackRock, Viking Global Investors, Bain Capital Life Sciences, and Foresite Capital.
As a clinical-stage company with no commercialized products, Affinivax had no operating revenue or pricing model; its economics were driven by R&D milestone execution and ultimately by a strategic exit. On August 16, 2022, GSK completed the acquisition of 100% of Affinivax shares for $2.1 billion upfront plus up to $0.6 billion in pediatric clinical development milestones, absorbing the MAPS platform and pipeline into GSK's specialty vaccines franchise. Following the acquisition, Affinivax operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary of GSK plc rather than an independent commercial entity.
Affinivax firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Affinivax
- Legal name
- Affinivax, Inc.
- Website
- https://affinivax.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Acquired
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Affinivax is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, now a GSK subsidiary, that developed the proprietary MAPS vaccine platform and lead 24-valent pneumococcal candidate AFX3772 to prevent Streptococcus pneumoniae infections in adults and pediatric populations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Affinivax industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Pneumococcal Vaccines
- NAICS
- Biological Product (except Diagnostic) Manufacturing (325414), Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714), Pharmaceutical Preparation Manufacturing (325412)
- SIC
- Biological Products, (No Disgnostic Substances) (2836), Pharmaceutical Preparations (2834)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Vaccine Technology Platforms (mRNA, viral vector, protein subunit, inactivated/live-attenuated, VLP, DNA) (HLAAAEAD)
Keywords
Where Affinivax is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cambridge
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Affinivax business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Affinivax product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Affinivax is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing next-generation vaccines targeting infectious diseases, primarily pneumococcal disease. The company's core offering centers on its proprietary Multiple Antigen Presenting System (MAPS) technology platform, which enables precise, high-affinity binding of pathogen-derived polysaccharides and proteins into single vaccines inducing both B-cell and T-cell immune responses. Its lead product is AFX3772, a 24-valent pneumococcal vaccine candidate in Phase II development, supported by a 30-plus valent candidate in pre-clinical development.
Product overview
Affinivax is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company pioneering the development of a novel class of vaccines built on the MAPSTM (Multiple Antigen Presenting System) technology platform. The MAPSTM platform enables high-affinity binding of pathogen-derived polysaccharides and proteins into single vaccines, generating broad B-cell and T-cell immune responses. The company's most advanced product is AFX3772, a 24-valent pneumococcal vaccine currently in Phase II development, along with a 30-plus valent pneumococcal candidate in pre-clinical development. Affinivax was acquired by GSK in August 2022 for $2.1 billion.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- AFX3772 (24-valent pneumococcal vaccine) A next-generation 24-valent pneumococcal vaccine candidate based on MAPS platform technology, targeting prevention of S. pneumoniae invasive disease and pneumonia in adults 50 years and above. Demonstrated good immune responses compared to current standard of care in adult Phase I/II trials. Intended for healthcare providers, public health agencies, and adult and pediatric populations at risk of pneumococcal disease.
- 30-plus valent pneumococcal candidate vaccine A pre-clinical stage next-generation pneumococcal vaccine candidate exceeding 30 valences, utilizing MAPS platform technology to potentially enable broader coverage against prevalent pneumococcal serotypes than currently available vaccines.
Quantifiable outcome
- Phase II trials demonstrated AFX3772 was well tolerated and showed good immune responses compared to current standard of care
Companies that use Affinivax
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Affinivax technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Affinivax partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Affinivax competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Vaxcyte: Vaxcyte is a clinical-stage vaccine company developing higher-valency pneumococcal conjugate vaccine candidates (VAX-24 24-valent and VAX-31 31-valent) using a cell-free protein synthesis platform, making it the closest direct competitor to Affinivax's MAPS-based AFX3772 in next-generation PCVs.
- Novavax: Novavax is a vaccine platform company using its proprietary Matrix-M adjuvant and recombinant nanoparticle technology to develop infectious-disease vaccines, sharing Affinivax's platform-based approach to vaccine development.
- Moderna: Moderna operates an mRNA-based vaccine platform targeting multiple infectious diseases and is developing next-generation vaccines, making it a comparable platform-based infectious-disease vaccine company.
Broad incumbents
- Pfizer: Pfizer markets the dominant Prevnar franchise (Prevnar 13/20/25), the incumbent standard of care in pneumococcal disease prevention against which Affinivax's AFX3772 was benchmarked in Phase I/II trials.
- Merck & Co. Merck markets Vaxneuvance (PCV15) and Capvaxive (PCV21) and is actively expanding valency, making it a broad incumbent competitor in the same pneumococcal vaccine market Affinivax targets.
- GSK: GSK acquired Affinivax and is itself a global vaccine leader with Synflorix and a broad infectious-disease pipeline, making it both the parent company and a major incumbent peer operating in the same vaccine space.
- Emergent BioSolutions: Emergent BioSolutions develops and manufactures vaccines and therapeutics for infectious diseases and public health threats, overlapping with Affinivax's infectious-disease vaccine mission.
- Sanofi: Sanofi Pasteur is one of the world's largest vaccine manufacturers with a broad infectious-disease portfolio, making it an incumbent competitor for global vaccine market share that any Affinivax program would eventually face.
Emerging players
- Valneva: Valneva is a specialty vaccine company focused on travel and infectious-disease vaccines, sharing Affinivax's infectious-disease vaccine focus though operating in different indications.
- BioNTech: BioNTech leverages mRNA technology to develop infectious-disease and oncology vaccines, sharing Affinivax's platform approach to next-generation vaccine development.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Affinivax social profiles
Digital presenceAffinivax financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Affinivax leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
Affinivax funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds5 records
Investors15 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Affinivax M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Affinivax
What does Affinivax do?
Affinivax is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing next-generation vaccines targeting infectious diseases, primarily pneumococcal disease. The company's core offering centers on its proprietary Multiple Antigen Presenting System (MAPS) technology platform, which enables precise, high-affinity binding of pathogen-derived polysaccharides and proteins into single vaccines inducing both B-cell and T-cell immune responses. Its lead product is AFX3772, a 24-valent pneumococcal vaccine candidate in Phase II development, supported by a 30-plus valent candidate in pre-clinical development.
Is Affinivax a public or private company?
Affinivax is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently acquired.
When was Affinivax founded?
Affinivax was founded in 2014. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Affinivax based?
Affinivax is headquartered in Cambridge, United States, in the North America region.
Who are Affinivax's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Vaxcyte, Novavax and Moderna. Broad incumbents are Pfizer, Merck & Co., GSK, Emergent BioSolutions and Sanofi. Emerging players are Valneva and BioNTech.
Does Affinivax have an API?
No public API is recorded for Affinivax.
What industry is Affinivax in?
Affinivax's product category is Pneumococcal Vaccines. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAAAEAD, Vaccine Technology Platforms (mRNA, viral vector, protein subunit, inactivated/live-attenuated, VLP, DNA). Its NAICS code is 325414 and its SIC code is 2836.