Sanofi has announced a partnership with South Korea’s ADEL, committing up to $1.04 billion for the development of a next-generation antibody targeting Alzheimer’s disease. The agreement includes an upfront payment of $80 million from Sanofi, with the remaining funds tied to development and commercial milestones. ADEL will also receive tiered royalties on future net sales, potentially reaching double-digit percentages.
The focus of the collaboration is ADEL-Y01, a monoclonal antibody designed to target only a specific type of tau protein implicated in Alzheimer’s disease. According to ADEL, this selectivity allows the drug candidate to block toxic tau clump formation while preserving healthy tau function. "ADEL-Y01’s approach [is] a 'promising and differentiated mechanism for addressing the underlying causes of Alzheimer’s disease,'" said Erik Wallstroem, global head of Multiple Sclerosis, Neurology and Gene Therapy Development at Sanofi.
ADEL-Y01 is currently being tested in a global first-in-human Phase I study. Details regarding how Sanofi and ADEL will share development responsibilities have not been disclosed. In addition to ADEL-Y01, Sanofi will gain access to related backup compounds through this agreement.
This deal follows other recent investments by Sanofi in neurodegenerative research. Earlier this year, Sanofi acquired Vigil Neuroscience for $470 million upfront—an acquisition that could reach $600 million depending on future milestones—gaining control over VG-3927, an investigational therapy for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
Sanofi has also expanded its portfolio outside neurology this year. On the same day as the ADEL announcement, it entered into an agreement worth up to $1.7 billion with Dren Bio for work on next-generation B cell depletion therapies using Dren Bio's Targeted Myeloid Engager and Phagocytosis Platform. In June, Sanofi completed one of its largest acquisitions by purchasing Blueprint Medicines for $9.5 billion.
