Unafraid of the official anti-vaccine stance in the United States, Sanofi (SNY.US) doubles down with a $1.6 billion investment in the acquisition of Vicebio.

According to the Wise Finance APP, Sanofi (SNY.US) has agreed to acquire the UK biotechnology company Vicebio Ltd. for up to $1.6 billion, gaining access to experimental vaccines and technology that can accelerate vaccine development. The French pharmaceutical company announced in a statement on Tuesday that they will make an upfront payment of $11.5 billion and commit to paying an additional $4.5 billion upon reaching certain key milestones.