ImmuNext will grant Sanofi a global license for the development and marketing of INX-021. | Contributed image
+ Technology/Innovation
Carol Ostrow | Jan 29, 2017

Sanofi, ImmuNext join to combat autoimmune disease

The possibility of tackling lupus, multiple sclerosis and other autoimmune diseases with a new antibody treatment has resulted in a partnership contract between Sanofi and ImmuNext Inc., a firm focused on immunotherapy.

"The immunoregulatory molecule, CD40L, is critical to the progression of a wide spectrum of autoimmune diseases," Randolph Noelle, ImmuNext’s co-founder and chief scientific officer, said. "Antibodies that block the function of CD40L have proven in pre-clinical models of autoimmunity to be among the most effective agents in treating disease.”

Under the agreement, ImmuNext will grant Sanofi a global license for the development and marketing of INX-021, currently in preclinical phase, that works by suppressing overactive cellular paths in autoimmune disorders. The companies will also collaborate in clinical trials.

Sanofi’s chief scientific officer for North America, Frank Nestle, confirmed Sanofi's commitment to the project.

"We are excited to collaborate with Dr. Noelle and the team at ImmuNext on this promising endeavor," said Nestle, who leads the company in immunology and inflammation research areas.

With initial payments upwards of $500 million scheduled for remittance to Lebanon, New Hampshire-based ImmuNext, the company also stands to attain royalties from product sales.

“The development of anti-CD40L for the treatment of autoimmune diseases offers a unique opportunity to silence disease progression and offer long-term remission," Noelle, who also serves as a microbiology and immunology professor at Dartmouth College’s Geisel School of Medicine, said.

Sanofi, globally headquartered in Paris with its U.S. hub in Bridgewater, New Jersey, oversees the development and distribution of restorative products centered on individuals’ requirements.

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