Sanofi expands immunotherapy portfolio

Sanofi has acquired Kymab, a biopharma immunotherapy company. Under the deal’s terms, the drug manufacturer will purchase Kymab for an upfront payment of approximately $1.1 billion and up to an additional $350 million for completion of specific milestones.

Sanofi will have full global rights to KY1005, a fully human monoclonal antibody that has a novel mechanism of action. KY1005 binds to OX40-ligand and has the potential to combat various immune-mediated diseases and inflammatory disorders.

Paul Hudson, Sanofi’s CEO, notes that this addition further establishes the company’s interest in fighting immune-related illnesses.

“The Kymab acquisition adds KY1005 to our dynamic pipeline, a potential first-in-class treatment for a range of immune and inflammatory diseases. The novel mechanism of action may provide treatment for patients with suboptimal responses to available therapies,” he said. “We understand from our ongoing work in debilitating immunological diseases how critical it is to find the right treatment for each patient. We look forward to rapidly developing this investigational medicine.”