- Business
- ExpreS2ion Biotech Holding AB (publ) (Nasdaq First North Growth Market Sweden: EXPRS2) develops innovative vaccines and biologics for infectious diseases and cancer using its proprietary ExpreS2 recombinant protein expression platform, a non-viral Drosophila S2 insect cell system that enables high-yield production of complex proteins and virus-like particles (VLPs); core offerings include the therapeutic breast cancer vaccine ES2B-C001 targeting all four extracellular domains of the HER2 receptor, cytomegalovirus vaccine candidate ES2B-I002, influenza vaccines via the MucoVax consortium with University of Copenhagen, Nipah virus vaccines in collaboration with University of Oxford, blood-stage malaria vaccines RH5.1 and R78C licensed to Serum Institute of India, and contract research services such as fee-for-service protein expression, platform licensing to pharmaceutical companies and research institutes, and sales of ExpreS2 test kits and reagents for R&D and diagnostics. Founded in 2010 and headquartered in Hørsholm, Denmark, the Sweden-domiciled company operates primarily in Europe with a workforce of approximately 20 employees and holds a 34% stake in joint venture AdaptVac ApS, which provides plug-and-play capsid VLP technology for oncology, infectious diseases, and immunological disorders; it targets global markets including biopharma partners, research institutions, and patients with unmet needs in immunotherapy and prophylaxis. Recent developments include the November 2025 execution of a definitive global licensing agreement with Serum Institute of India Pvt. Ltd. for RH5.1 (Phase II) and R78C malaria vaccines utilizing the ExpreS2 platform, entitling ExpreS2ion to upfront and low single-digit euro milestone payments plus royalties below 1% to mid-single digits on net sales; positive Phase I immunogenicity data from the first ES2B-C001 patient in September 2025 showing significant HER2-specific antibody responses; acknowledgment in July 2025 of JPY 800 million (EUR 4.6 million) GHIT Fund support for a malaria VLP project via AdaptVac; an Infrastructure-as-a-Service agreement with Technical University of Denmark for high-performance computing access; successful TO 11 warrant exercises raising SEK 10.4 million net; and advancements in University of Oxford malaria programs. The dual business model balances near-term revenues from contract research organization activities with long-term value from proprietary pipeline progression through early clinical proof-of-concept prior to partnerships, as exemplified by prior deals with Bavarian Nordic for COVID-19 vaccine ABNCoV2 and a letter of intent with WuXi Vaccines in April 2025 for industrial-scale evaluation.