Sanofi and BioNTech have entered into a research collaboration and license agreement to develop up to five cancer immunotherapies
To create the cancer therapies Sanofi and BioNTech will combine the use of BioNTech’s messenger RNA (mRNA) technology platform, which enables targeted mRNA delivery in vivo, with the company’s immune-stimulating pharmaceuticals.
As part of the agreement BioNTech has the option to develop and commercialise two of the five mRNA therapeutics products with Sanofi in the European Union and the United States.
Elias Zerhouni, president, Global R&D at Sanofi, said: “Immunotherapy has shown promise as an avenue to develop potentially curative treatments for people with cancer, and Sanofi has strategically launched a number of inter-company collaborations in this area in recent months.
“Our collaboration with BioNTech has the potential to lay the foundation for a unique therapeutic modality in immuno-oncology.”
BioNTech will also supply part of the mRNA material needed for development activities from its in-house GMP manufacturing unit.
Sanofi and BioNTech have agreed to £39 million ($60m) in upfront and near-term milestone payments, payable to BioNTech, with a potential £196 million ($300m) more in development, regulatory and commercial milestones and other payments per product.
Ugur Sahin, CEO of BioNTech, said: “The collaboration with Sanofi is groundbreaking: through using our broad suite of mRNA technologies and extensive tumor immunology understanding, it will allow us to develop a completely new class of cancer immune-therapeutics with Sanofi, which we believe will have a profound and deep impact on the treatment of cancer.
“This alliance is in line with our strategy to collaborate with companies that share our passion and drive to develop and commercialise truly innovative and disruptive immunotherapies for the treatment of cancer.”