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The 2014 Deals of Distinction Award from the LES Industry-University-Government Interface Sector (IUGI) went to the U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), National Institutes of Health (NIH), PATH, and the Serum Institute of India (SII) for MenAfriVac, a low-cost meningitis vaccine designed for use in sub-Saharan Africa.

The NIH Technology Transfer Program was honored with its record 7th “Deal of Distinction Award” at the 2025 Licensing Executives Society Annual Meeting.  This award was given to NIH and its licensee Bavarian Nordic for the deal that led to the new chikungunya virus vaccine Vimkunya®. Vimkunya received FDA approval on February 14, 2025, as the first virus-like particle (VLP) single-dose chikungunya vaccine and the first chikungunya vaccine for individuals over the age of 12. .

The LES Deal of Distinction award recognizes major business transactions involving licensing, that exemplify best practices and creativity to achieve strategic product development objectives, with a significant impact on advancing innovation in the industry sectors that comprise LES which includes pharmaceutical and biomedical technology. This LES award specifically recognizes two deals that were negotiated by NIAID technology transfer officers with an array of partners in industry and academic institutions, or Industry University Government Interface (IUGI) sector.

Low cost rotavirus vaccine in developing countries, ROTASIIL, a heat stable rotavirus vaccine, was approved by the Drug General Controller of India in 2017. The Government of India subsequently ordered 3.8 million doses of ROTASIIL for its Universal Immunization Program.