LigoCyte Pharmaceuticals was a private, clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Bozeman, Montana, focused on developing novel vaccines for gastrointestinal and respiratory indications. Its proprietary virus-like particle (VLP) platform supported a pipeline of vaccine candidates against norovirus, influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and rotavirus. The company's lead candidate, a first-in-class norovirus vaccine, was in Phase I/II clinical development at the time of acquisition by Takeda Pharmaceutical Company in October 2012 for $60 million upfront plus contingent milestones. Founded in 1998 by Montana State University researchers (including co-founder John Jutila), the company funded its R&D through a mix of private venture capital and grants from the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Department of Defense. Following the acquisition, LigoCyte's operations and employees were retained in Bozeman and folded into Takeda's Vaccine Business Division.
Ligocyte Pharmaceuticals has been acquired
This company is no longer available on our private secondary market.
Company data and valuation marks are estimates and may be incomplete, stale, erroneous, or revised.
Founded
1998
Employees
30–50
Total Funding
$59.7M
1 rounds
Total raised $59.7M across 1 rounds
Funding data and valuation marks are estimates and may be incomplete, stale, erroneous, or revised.
Last updated 05-21-2026
Latest Round
Type
Series C
Date
2008
Amount
$28M
Valuation
—
Lead Investors
Donald P. Beeman
Chief Executive Officer & Board Member
John Jutila
Co-Founder
Competitor list is illustrative and may be incomplete, stale, or erroneous.
Vaxart
Clinical-stage biotech developing oral recombinant vaccines, including a norovirus tablet vaccine candidate that directly competes with the VLP-based norovirus program LigoCyte pioneered.
Moderna
Public mRNA vaccine developer with a norovirus mRNA vaccine candidate (mRNA-1403) in clinical development, competing with VLP-based approaches in the same indication.
HilleVax
Clinical-stage biotech spun out to advance the same Takeda/LigoCyte-derived norovirus VLP vaccine candidate (HIL-214) in late-stage trials.
GSK
Large vaccine developer with broad infectious-disease pipeline and historic shareholder interest in LigoCyte; competes across the VLP and adjuvanted vaccine landscape.
Medicago
Plant-based virus-like particle vaccine developer (acquired by Mitsubishi Tanabe; later wound down) that operated in the same VLP technology space as LigoCyte.
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