The story
Molecular Vaccines, Inc. was founded by Wayne T. Hockmeyer, David Mott, and Dr. James Young in 1988. In 1989, Molecular Vaccines, Inc changed its name to MedImmune, Inc.
On April 23, 2007, it was announced MedImmune and AstraZeneca entered into a definitive agreement under which AstraZeneca intended to acquire MedImmune in an all-cash transaction at US$ 58 per share, or about US$ 15.2 billion. On 19 June 2007 AstraZeneca completed the acquisition paying US$ 15.2 billion primarily for its drug development pipeline. Analysts have criticised the take-over, claiming that AstraZeneca paid too much. AstraZeneca chose to merge MedImmune with Cambridge Antibody Technology, which it had acquired in 2006, creating a new biologics division under the MedImmune name. AstraZeneca presented the new MedImmune to investors on 7 December 2007.
In June 2007, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) began enrolling participants in a Phase 1 H5N1 study of an intranasal influenza vaccine candidate based on MedImmune's live, attenuated vaccine technology.
MedImmune said it was making a significant, rapid response with a vaccine to the novel H1N1 variant of influenza, known as swine flu. In June 2009 it won a Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) contract, worth $90m. Under the contract with HHS, MedImmune will continue to make its seasonal FluMist vaccine and also develop a vaccine targeted specifically at the novel H1N1 virus. MedImmune then won a second contract to test its nasal spray flu technology as a viable treatment for the H1N1.
MedImmune received approval from the U.S. FDA for its intranasal novel H1N1 influenza vaccine in September 2009.
From Wikipedia’s article on MedImmune, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.4