Elaris Advances C. difficile Vaccine Beyond Toxin-Only Approaches with Matrivax Asset Acquisition

VIENNA, May 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Elaris FlexCo ("Elaris"), an Austrian biotechnology company developing vaccines against serious bacterial infections, today announced that it has entered into an asset purchase agreement with Matrivax Research & Development Corporation ("Matrivax"), a U.S.-based biotechnology company, to acquire intellectual property, materials and know-how related to technologies for the prevention of Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) and related disease outcomes.

The transaction strengthens Elaris' strategy to develop a differentiated CDI vaccine designed to go beyond traditional toxin-only approaches. By targeting multiple mechanisms of infection, Elaris aims to address key limitations of prior vaccine efforts, particularly in achieving broad protection and reducing recurrence.

Combined with Elaris' existing global license agreement with Valneva for toxin-based antigen technology, the acquisition consolidates and secures the core intellectual property underpinning its multi-component vaccine platform. The acquired assets include patents, preclinical data, manufacturing expertise and biological materials supporting novel approaches targeting C. difficile.

"This acquisition is a critical step toward building a more effective vaccine against C. difficile," said Jason Golan, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Elaris. "While toxin neutralization addresses an important component of disease, it does not fully address the underlying infection dynamics. We believe that targeting multiple mechanisms of infection is essential to achieving meaningful protection, particularly in reducing recurrence and overall disease burden."

Under the terms of the agreement, Matrivax will receive an equity stake in Elaris as well as royalties on future net sales of products incorporating the acquired assets.

CDI remains a leading cause of hospital-acquired infections globally, with more than one million cases annually and high recurrence rates following treatment. Despite this burden, no vaccine is currently approved.

About Clostridioides difficile

C. difficile is a toxin-producing bacterium and a leading cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhea and colitis, particularly in hospital and long-term care settings. Infection often occurs following disruption of the gut microbiome caused by antibiotic therapy. Recurrence rates after treatment remain high, and severe cases can lead to life-threatening complications.

About Elaris

Elaris is a biotechnology company developing next-generation bacterial vaccines to protect aging and medically vulnerable populations from serious bacterial diseases. Its lead program is a differentiated vaccine designed to prevent Clostridioides difficile, a severe hospital-acquired infection that primarily affects elderly and immunocompromised patients. By shifting the focus from treatment to prevention, Elaris aims to reduce hospitalizations, antibiotic use, and the growing burden of antimicrobial resistance.

For more information, visit www.elaris.com.

Investor & Media Contact
Jason Golan
Chief Executive Officer
[email protected]

SOURCE Elaris