Four years after Sanofi shelled out $125 million for global rights to Biond Biologics’ novel immune checkpoint inhibitor, the French pharma is handing the prospect back to Biond.
The move is due to an ongoing R&D prioritization at Sanofi, with the pharma attributing the transfer to broader efforts to “focus on programs that support the company’s strategy,” according to a March 3 press release.
Sanofi’s original $125 million bet in 2021 was rooted in the potential the anti-ITL2 monoclonal antibody held to turn the innate and adaptive immune systems against tumors and featured more than $1 billion in potential milestones, plus a chance to lead the ILT2 field. The companies already wrapped up a phase 1 dose-escalation study weighing BND-22 as a monotherapy and in combination with Keytruda, plus Eli Lilly and Merck KGaA’s Erbitux (cetuximab). The partners said the therapy was well-tolerated and reported “several confirmed clinical responses” in heavily pre-treated patients.
Biond had been responsible for the phase 1a assessment of the drug, while Sanofi was in charge of further development. Based on the early-stage results, Sanofi initiated enrollment for a phase 2 dose-optimization and expansion study of solo BND-22 in patients with rare bile duct cancer cholangiocarcinoma and in combination with Erbitux for non-small cell lung cancer or colorectal cancer.
While Sanofi was an “outstanding partner,” Biond remains “committed to the continued development” of the program, whether “independently or in partnership with strategic collaborators,” CEO and co-founder Tehila Ben Moshe, Ph.D., said in a statement. The biotech plans to "continue treating patients who are benefiting from BND-22 treatment" in the Sanofi-started trial, she said.
Through the transfer, Israel-based Biond will retain access to the clinical data already generated by Sanofi. The biotech also plans to launch a phase 2 biomarker study of the med in combination with anti-PD-1 therapy.
Sanofi’s pipeline shakeup has resulted in the removals of a clutch of programs tied to its multibillion-dollar takeovers of Ablynx, Principia Biopharma and Synthorx. In January, it was revealed that the company dropped three phase 1 assets, including an IL-2 candidate from its $2.5 billion Synthrox acquisition and two based on a platform technology picked up from its $4.1 billion Ablynx buy. The drugmaker also scratched a late-stage relapsing multiple sclerosis program using Principia’s BTK inhibitor tolebrutinib, although it plans to file the drug for approval in another disease setting.