The deal seeks to strengthen the drugmaker’s portfolio of respiratory vaccines and help it move on from pipeline setbacks.

(Reuters) -French pharmaceuticals company Sanofi said on Tuesday it would acquire British private biotechnology firm Vicebio for a total of $1.15 billion, expanding its respiratory vaccine portfolio.

The acquisition, which will give Sanofi a combination vaccine for respiratory syncytial virus and human metapneumovirus, follows the pharma’s potential $1.4 billion COVID vaccine licensing deal with Novavax last year,