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* CureVac raises $126 mln from QIA, other investors
* Declines to comment on size of QIA's stake
* Follows German govt, GSK financing and EIB loan
(Adds no comment from QIA)
BERLIN, July 21 (Reuters) - German biotech company CureVac
said Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) has taken an undisclosed
stake in the firm as part of a $126 million financing round, the
latest high-profile investor to come onboard ahead of a
potential stock market listing.
Tuesday's announcement is the fourth injection of funding in
two months and comes just a day after British pharmaceutical
company GSK bought a 10% stake in return for a $171
million investment.
The German government also made a $343 million investment in
June in return for a 23% holding in the firm, taking the total
investment from a private financing round to $640 million,
CureVac said.
The Tuebingen-based company, which is backed by Microsoft
billionaire Bill Gates, also secured a 75 million euro ($85.79
million) loan from the European Investment Bank earlier this
month.
CureVac said the $126 million was raised from QIA and a
group of existing and new investors. A spokesman declined to say
how much came from QIA or give details on the size of the Qatari
stake.
QIA declined to comment.
CureVac is a pioneer in the so-called messenger RNA approach
for developing vaccines and monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) for
infectious diseases.
mRNA vaccines use ribonucleic acid (RNA), a chemical
messenger that evinces an immune response when injected by
instructing cells to make proteins that mimic pathogens.
The approach, also being deployed in experimental COVID-19
vaccines by BioNTech and partner Pfizer and Moderna
, is yet to be approved in any therapy.
CureVac is planning a stock market listing in September or
October, people familiar with the matter have told Reuters.
($1 = 0.8743 euros)
(Reporting by Caroline Copley and Hans Seidenstuecker,
Additional reporting by Davide Barbuscia; editing by Emelia
Sithole-Matarise)
