Sanofi, Belharra forge US$700M partnership for immunological diseases

USA-  Sanofi has forged a strategic partnership with Belharra Therapeutics, a California-based next-generation chemoproteomics company, to advance the discovery of novel small molecule therapeutics for immunological diseases.

The collaboration will leverage Belharra’s proprietary non-covalent chemoproteomics platform to screen and validate hits against undisclosed Sanofi-designated immunology targets.

Under the terms of the agreement, Belharra will receive an upfront payment of US$40 million and is eligible to gain up to US$700 million in payments for research, development, commercial milestones, and royalties over the long term.

Belharra’s platform is designed to illuminate binding pockets on proteins and target protein—protein interactions across various cell types.

This proprietary screening platform will be employed to validate various undisclosed targets chosen by Sanofi.

Once validated, Sanofi will take over the reins and initiate the subsequent preclinical, clinical, and commercial activities for its chosen candidates.

The primary objective of the partnership is to explore previously “undruggable” targets in immunology, as stated by John Bertin, Global Head of Immunology and Inflammation Research at Sanofi.

This collaboration marks a significant step in Sanofi’s efforts to strengthen its foothold in both immunology and small molecule treatment sectors.

Belharra has already found favor with other pharma companies.

In January 2023, the company signed a multi-year partnership with Roche Group member Genentech to discover and develop therapies in immuno-oncology, oncology, neurodegenerative, and autoimmune diseases.

Under the terms of the agreement, Belharra received an upfront cash payment of $80 million and is eligible to receive milestone payments for the development, commercial, and net sales milestones achieved over the course of the partnership.

Sanofi has been undergoing a major pipeline shakeup in an effort to become “an immunoscience powerhouse,” according to an internal letter obtained by Fierce Biotech in April.

CEO Paul Hudson laid out his vision in October 2023 to redirect resources toward therapeutic areas like immunology while saving cash.

In the company’s earnings call in April, Sanofi’s head of R&D Houman Ashrafian told analysts: “Our strategy is one of selectively investing in areas where we believe we have a chance to make a meaningful difference based on our expertise in immunology.”

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