A health worker prepares a dose of the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine at a coronavirus vaccination centre at the Wizink Center in Madrid on May 12, 2021. Photo: AFP

AstraZeneca moved to bolster its COVID-19 portfolio of antibodies on Tuesday with a $157 million licensing deal for experimental therapies developed by newly-launched biotech RQ Bio.

In addition to the initial sum, the Anglo-Swedish drugmaker faces possible royalty payments as part of the exclusive license to develop pre-clinical COVID-19 antibodies engineered by RQ Bio, the start-up said. AstraZeneca announced the deal but not its size.

The antibodies include those designed to target people with compromised immune systems - such as AstraZeneca's own antibody cocktail, Evusheld, which has already been approved in multiple countries.

The deal gives AstraZeneca the rights to develop and sell six antibodies, none of which has been tested in humans so far, RQ Bio CEO Hugo Fry said in an interview with the Reuters.

In lab studies, the antibodies have been shown to work against all known variants, including Omicron, he said.

Access to a fresh crop of COVID-19 antibodies will bolster AstraZeneca's COVID-19 portfolio, which is expecting to see a rapid decline in COVID-19 vaccine sales in 2022.

The Anglo-Swedish drugmaker's vaccine was its second bestseller last year, but it has struggled to compete with rivals made by Pfizer and Moderna, and has hit setbacks with production, rare side-effects and relatively limited shelf life.

RQ Bio is hoping to capitalize on this opportunity as scientists anticipate recurrent anti-COVID-19 shots.