Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis will license a programme of vaccines from U.S. group AlphaVax Inc. against cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections.

Under the arrangement, Novartis will pay $20 million upfront to the North Carolina company to secure the right to a developmental vaccine for the cytomegalovirus, or CMV.

In addition, AlphaVax will also be eligible for milestone payments and royalties.

The company quoted in a release that a virus of the herpes family CMV can seriously harm patients with weakened immune systems such as newborns or those with AIDS or cancer.

As per Novartis research, the virus infects about 86,000 newborns in the United States and European Union each year, causing 700 deaths and 17,500 cases of severe disability.

The vaccine is expected to enter phase II clinical trials next year.