What LimmaTech Biologics does

LimmaTech Biologics AG is a clinical-stage Swiss biotech company founded in 2015 and headquartered in Schlieren, near Zurich. The company develops vaccines to prevent infections caused by antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) bacterial pathogens, including Staphylococcus aureus (including MRSA), Shigella, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Chlamydia trachomatis, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and uropathogenic E. coli. Its lead clinical programs are LBT-SA7, a multivalent toxoid S. aureus vaccine in Phase 1, and Shigella4V (S4V/S4V2), a tetravalent bioconjugate Shigella vaccine in Phase 2b human challenge studies, both of which received FDA Fast Track Designation in 2024.

The company's technology centers on a proprietary self-adjuvanting, multi-antigen vaccine platform built on engineered E. coli, combined with an in vivo bioconjugation method (licensed from predecessor GlycoVaxyn and developed under an exclusive R&D agreement with GSK since 2015). The architecture enables single-step, scalable production of vaccine candidates containing multiple immunogenic antigens without culturing pathogenic bacteria, reducing cost, complexity, and biosafety risk. The platform has supported nine vaccine candidates advancing into clinical Phases I and II across three continents.

LimmaTech operates a B2B, partnership-and-licensing-driven go-to-market model. It does not sell commercial products; revenue derives from license-out agreements (notably the August 2024 exclusive worldwide license of S4V to Valneva SE, generating milestones and royalties) and non-dilutive grant funding (CARB-X, Innosuisse). Strategic customers and counterparties include GSK, Valneva, Eli Lilly (which announced an up-to-$780M acquisition of LimmaTech in May 2026), AbVacc, Griffith University, and global public health stakeholders focused on the AMR threat. The firm employs between 40 and 250 professionals with a scientific leadership team largely inherited from GlycoVaxyn and CureVac.

Name

LimmaTech Biologics

Legal name

LimmaTech Biologics AG

Website

https://lmtbio.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

LimmaTech Biologics AG is a Swiss clinical-stage biotech developing vaccines to prevent infections from antimicrobial-resistant bacterial pathogens, using a proprietary engineered E. coli-based multivalent and bioconjugate platform, and licensing its candidates to global pharmaceutical partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Schlieren

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Licensing Royalties (Shigella4V/S4V2): Licensing royalties from Valneva (exclusive worldwide license for S4V Shigella vaccine candidate granted August 2024), including milestones and royalties from commercialization of the Shigella vaccine. Includes milestone-based payments and future sales royalties for the most clinically advanced tetravalent Shigella vaccine candidate.
2. Grant Funding (CARB-X, Innosuisse): Non-dilutive grant funding from organizations including CARB-X ($6.5 million for LBT-SA7 development and earlier funding for gonorrhea vaccine program) and Innosuisse (joint grant with University Hospital of Basel). Supporting clinical development of antibacterial vaccine candidates.
3. License-Out / Partnership Revenue: Revenue from license agreements and strategic partnerships for vaccine candidates, including the Valneva exclusive worldwide license (2024) for S4V Shigella vaccine, and future royalties/sales post-approval. As of October 2023, USD 37M Series A funding targeted vaccine development against multi-drug resistant infections. Company is pre-revenue and clinical-stage, with no approved products.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

LimmaTech Biologics AG is a clinical-stage Swiss biotech that develops vaccines to prevent bacterial infections caused by antimicrobial-resistant pathogens, including Staphylococcus aureus (including MRSA), Shigella, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Chlamydia trachomatis, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and uropathogenic E. coli. The company leverages a proprietary self-adjuvanting, multi-antigen vaccine platform built on engineered E. coli that produces multivalent vaccine candidates in a single, scalable step. Lead clinical assets include LBT-SA7 (Staphylococcus aureus toxoid vaccine, Phase 1) and Shigella4V/S4V (tetravalent Shigella bioconjugate vaccine, Phase 2b, out-licensed to Valneva).

Product overview

LimmaTech Biologics AG is a clinical-stage Swiss biotech company with a single integrated platform-plus-pipeline offering centered on its proprietary self-adjuvanting, multi-antigen E. coli-based vaccine technology. The core platform produces and licenses the bioconjugate and toxoid vaccine candidates that comprise the pipeline: lead candidate LBT-SA7 (Staphylococcus aureus toxoid vaccine, Phase 1), Shigella4V/S4V (tetravalent Shigella bioconjugate vaccine, Phase 2b, now licensed to Valneva), Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Chlamydia trachomatis programs (CARB-X funded), and earlier-stage Klebsiella pneumoniae and ExPEC4V uropathogenic E. coli candidates. Together, the platform and its named candidates target the antimicrobial-resistance public health threat by preventing bacterial infections rather than treating them.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Proprietary Multivalent Vaccine Technology Platform Self-adjuvanting, multi-antigen vaccine platform based on engineered E. coli that produces vaccine candidates containing multiple immunogenic antigens in a single, scalable production step. The platform enables streamlined, cost-effective, and safer vaccine production by eliminating the need to culture large quantities of pathogenic bacteria, and underpins LimmaTech's lead bacterial-pathogen vaccine programs.
• LBT-SA7 (Staphylococcus aureus vaccine candidate) Rationally designed multivalent toxoid vaccine in-licensed from AbVacc (formerly IBT-V02) to prevent reinfections caused by Staphylococcus aureus, including community-associated and hospital-acquired infections which account for the majority of antimicrobial-resistant cases. In Phase 1 clinical study in the USA with FDA Fast Track Designation and CARB-X funding support.
• Shigella4V / S4V (tetravalent Shigella bioconjugate vaccine candidate) Tetravalent bioconjugate vaccine encompassing the O-antigen polysaccharides of S. flexneri 2a, 3a, 6 and S. sonnei, targeting the four predominant Shigella serotypes responsible for up to 85% of global infections. Originally in-licensed from GSK in July 2023; out-licensed exclusively to Valneva worldwide in August 2024; in Phase 2b human challenge study with FDA Fast Track Designation.
• Neisseria gonorrhoeae (gonorrhea) vaccine candidate Pipeline vaccine program targeting Neisseria gonorrhoeae infections, for which only one antibiotic remains effective in treating resistant bacterial strains. Program funded by CARB-X (announced February 2024) and supported by LimmaTech's proprietary E. coli-based platform.
• Chlamydia trachomatis vaccine candidate Pipeline vaccine candidate targeting Chlamydia trachomatis infections, built on LimmaTech's self-adjuvanting multi-antigen platform. Additional bacterial pathogen vaccine alongside the Staphylococcus aureus and Neisseria gonorrhoeae programs.
• Klebsiella pneumoniae O-antigen vaccine candidate Klebsiella pneumoniae bioconjugate vaccine candidate that entered a Phase I/II clinical trial in July 2021. Developed using LimmaTech's E. coli O-antigen bioconjugation technology and supported by published peer-reviewed work on O-antigen glycoforms and immunological assay development.
• ExPEC4V (uropathogenic E. coli bioconjugate vaccine candidate) Tetravalent E. coli O-antigen bioconjugate vaccine candidate targeting extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli, including uropathogenic strains responsible for recurrent urinary tract infections. Supported by LimmaTech/GlycoVaxyn Phase 1b published clinical data in The Lancet Infectious Diseases.

Quantifiable outcome

• FDA Fast Track Designation granted for lead S. aureus and Shigella vaccine candidates (2024)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Eli Lilly and CompanyflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 May 2026Eli Lilly announced on May 26, 2026 the acquisition of LimmaTech Biologics AG for up to $780 million (upfront plus milestone-based payments) as part of a broader $3.83 billion three-vaccine-company acquisition (also including Curevo and Vaccine Company). The deal marks LimmaTech's self-adjuvating and multi-antigen vaccine platform's integration into Lilly's infectious disease franchise.
• Valneva SEflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2024Valneva obtained exclusive worldwide license for LimmaTech's S4V Shigella vaccine candidate and added an attractive Phase 2 clinical asset to Valneva's R&D pipeline (announced August 1, 2024). The two companies subsequently announced first vaccination in Phase 2b human challenge study (November 13, 2024) and Phase 2 infant study (April 9, 2025), as well as joint FDA Fast Track Designation for S4V2 in October 2024. Valneva is a specialty vaccine company (Nasdaq: VALN; Euronext Paris: VLA).
• AbVacccoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 19 December 2023LimmaTech received an exclusive clinical development license from AbVacc for a multivalent, toxoid vaccine candidate (LBT-SA7, formerly IBT-V02) to prevent infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus, the leading cause of antimicrobial resistance-related deaths. The program is currently in a Phase 1 clinical study in the USA and received FDA Fast Track Designation in December 2024.
• GlaxoSmithKline (GSK)flagshipOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 19 July 2023GSK granted LimmaTech Biologics a license to develop and commercialize a Shigella bioconjugate vaccine in July 2023, enabling LimmaTech to continue its clinical development. Separately, LimmaTech has had an exclusive research and development agreement with GSK since 2015 covering the bioconjugation technology (acquired by GSK from LimmaTech's predecessor GlycoVaxyn). The agreement currently covers three clinical-stage vaccine programs: Shigella (S4V) exclusively licensed from GSK, a GSK-owned Klebsiella vaccine candidate, and one yet-to-be-disclosed program.
• Griffith UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 October 2022LimmaTech entered into an exclusive License and Collaboration Agreement with Griffith University to expand its vaccine technology platform (announced October 24, 2022).

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Valneva SE: Specialty vaccine company focused on travel and infectious disease vaccines, and LimmaTech's exclusive worldwide licensee for the S4V Shigella vaccine candidate since August 2024. Directly comparable as a clinical-to-commercial vaccine developer in the AMR and travel vaccine space.
• Affinivax: Clinical-stage biotech developing vaccines using a proprietary bioconjugation platform (MAPS) very similar to LimmaTech's E. coli-based bioconjugation technology. Acquired by GSK in August 2022 for up to $3.3 billion, providing the most direct precedent for a bioconjugation vaccine platform exit.
• Vaxcyte: Clinical-stage vaccine company developing carrier-saccharide conjugate and other novel vaccines against bacterial pathogens, including VAX-24 (pneumococcal) and Shigella programs. Comparable bioconjugation-adjacent vaccine technology and clinical-stage positioning.
• Curevo Vaccine: Clinical-stage vaccine developer focused on non-mRNA shingles and other infectious disease vaccines; acquired by Eli Lilly alongside LimmaTech in May 2026 as part of the same $3.83 billion three-company vaccine package. Directly comparable as a co-Lilly acquisition in the clinical-stage vaccine space.

Broad incumbents

• Pfizer: Largest vaccine company globally post-COVID and major developer of bacterial and viral vaccines. Competes for clinical sites, regulatory attention, and partnership opportunities in AMR priority pathogens.
• Merck & Co. Major vaccine developer with substantial infectious disease portfolio; historically active in S. aureus vaccine development (including the discontinued V710 program). Sets the bar for clinical and commercial competition in LimmaTech's lead indications.
• GlaxoSmithKline (GSK): Global vaccine leader and LimmaTech's bioconjugation R&D partner since 2015; also the entity that acquired GlycoVaxyn (LimmaTech's predecessor) in 2015. Operates one of the broadest vaccine portfolios including Shigella candidates, making GSK both a partner and a competitive incumbent.
• Sanofi Pasteur: Vaccine division of global pharmaceutical company Sanofi; broad infectious disease vaccine portfolio including bacterial vaccines (e.g., pneumococcal, meningitis). Functions as a broad incumbent pursuing AMR-relevant vaccine markets where LimmaTech competes.

Emerging players

• Bavarian Nordic: Specialty vaccine company focused on infectious disease and cancer vaccines; comparable as a small-to-mid-cap clinical-to-commercial vaccine developer pursuing public health priority pathogens outside the large-pharma mainstream.
• HilleVax: Clinical-stage vaccine company developing vaccines for gastrointestinal infectious diseases; experienced a Phase 2b clinical failure for its norovirus vaccine candidate in 2024, illustrating the binary clinical risk that also applies to LimmaTech's clinical-stage pipeline.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/limmatech-biologics-ag

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors5 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about LimmaTech Biologics