Aquila Biopharmaceuticals

Aquila Biopharmaceuticals was a biotechnology company based in Framingham, Massachusetts, specializing in the development of vaccines and immunotherapies. The company's core strength lay in its proprietary Stimulon adjuvant technology, most notably QS-21, which is derived from the soapbark tree and acts to enhance immune responses to vaccine antigens. Aquila's research pipeline included candidates for infectious diseases like malaria and leishmaniasis, as well as therapeutic antibodies targeting CD154 for autoimmune conditions. In November 2000, Aquila was acquired by Antigenics (now Agenus) in a stock-for-stock transaction. Today, the QS-21 technology remains a critical component in several high-profile commercial vaccines, including GlaxoSmithKline's Shingrix and Mosquirix.