GlaxoSmithKline doubles down on Vir pact, throwing in $345M upfront to go beyond COVID-19

Last year, Big Pharma GlaxoSmithKline and George Scangos’ biotech Vir joined forces against COVID-19. Now, the pair is turning its crosshairs on a broader range of respiratory diseases.

In 2020, the pair penned a deal to develop an antibody against SARS-CoV-02, though the companies are behind in development terms compared to the likes of Eli Lilly and Regeneron, both of which have treatments that were given emergency clearance from the FDA in recent months.