Instituto Sieroterapico e Vaccinogeno Sclavo

Istituto Sieroterapico e Vaccinogeno Sclavo was a pioneering Italian biotechnology company founded in 1904 by Achille Sclavo in Siena. The institute became a global leader in the development and production of vaccines and therapeutic sera, notably producing the first effective vaccine against anthrax and playing a critical role in the development of conjugate vaccines. Over the decades, it expanded into diagnostics and various pharmaceutical products before its vaccine division was acquired by Chiron Corporation in 1992. Following subsequent acquisitions by Novartis and GSK, the original site in Siena remains one of the world's leading vaccine research and development hubs. The institute's legacy is also preserved through the Sclavo Vaccines Association, a non-profit dedicated to developing vaccines for neglected diseases.