Nestle Health arm to buy global rights to VOWST
Seres Therapeutics, Inc., has announced that it has agreed to a non-binding memorandum of understanding with Nestle Health Science in which Nestle Health Science will acquire certain tangible and intangible assets associated with VOWST (fecal microbiota spores, live-brpk) capsules.
This transaction, when completed, supersedes any prior agreements between Nestlé and Seres concerning VOWST. Nestlé Health Science has been the lead commercialization party for the product since its launch in June 2023 in the United States.
This transaction will allow Nestlé Health Science full control over the further development, commercialization, and manufacturing of VOWST in the US and worldwide.
“VOWST has been extremely successful since we first made it available to patients in June of last year,” said Moreno Perugini, President of Medical Nutrition and Pharma, Nestlé Health Science. “We have had a productive collaboration with Seres during the development and FDA approval of VOWST, and we are pleased to continue to provide this important medication to patients.”
VOWST is the first and only U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved orally administered microbiota-based therapeutic to prevent recurrence of Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) in adults following antibacterial treatment for recurrent CDI (rCDI).
VOWST is not indicated for the treatment of CDI.
Perugini continued, “With the Nestlé Health Science portfolio focused on nutritional science, our pharma business specializes on medical conditions that are specifically related to gastrointestinal disorders. VOWST fits within our expertise and fills a significant unmet need in the market; we are confident that sales will continue to grow and that many more patients will benefit from it.”
The transaction is subject to the negotiation of definitive agreements, Seres shareholder approval and other customary conditions.
