Synthekine Announces Strategic Collaboration with Sanofi to Develop Selective IL-10 Agonists for Treatment of Inflammatory Diseases
Synthekine Inc. announced a collaboration with Sanofi to develop and commercialize IL-10 receptor agonists for the treatment of inflammatory diseases. Synthekine will receive a $40 million upfront payment and is eligible for additional milestones and royalties on net sales. The collaboration aims to develop selective agonists that expand therapeutic index, focusing on advancing Synthekine’s multiple approaches to optimizing IL-10. Sanofi will assume sole responsibility for subsequent preclinical, clinical, and commercial activities for the IL-10 therapeutics.
The collaboration between Synthekine and Sanofi represents a strategic partnership that could have significant financial implications. The $40 million upfront payment to Synthekine is a substantial investment by Sanofi, indicating a strong belief in the potential of the IL-10 receptor agonists to become a lucrative product in the treatment of inflammatory diseases. The agreement also includes tiered royalties on net sales , which could provide a steady income stream for Synthekine if the therapeutics reach the market and achieve commercial success. Investors should note the potential for long-term revenue generation, contingent on the successful development and commercialization of the products.
IL-10's role as an immune-regulatory cytokine makes it a high-value target in the field of immunology, particularly for inflammatory diseases. Synthekine's approach to engineering selective agonists aims to expand the therapeutic index by enhancing efficacy while minimizing toxicity, a significant challenge in previous clinical studies of recombinant human IL-10. The collaboration's focus on optimizing IL-10 through Synthekine's platforms could address a critical unmet need in the treatment landscape. If successful, this would not only benefit patients but could also disrupt the market for anti-inflammatory therapies, potentially capturing a significant market share.
The partnership leverages Synthekine's expertise in cytokine engineering and Sanofi's global reach in immunology, exemplifying a trend in the biotech industry where larger pharmaceutical companies collaborate with niche biotech firms to pool resources and expertise. This strategy can accelerate the development of novel therapies and reduce the time-to-market. The deal structure, with Sanofi taking on the responsibilities post-preclinical development, mitigates risk for Synthekine while allowing them to benefit from Sanofi's extensive resources for clinical trials and commercialization. This type of collaboration is becoming more common as it offers a balanced risk-reward scenario for both parties involved.
01/29/2024 - 08:00 AM
Synthekine to receive $40 million
MENLO PARK, Calif. --(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Synthekine Inc. , an engineered cytokine therapeutics company, today announced a worldwide collaboration with Sanofi (EURONEXT: SAN and NASDAQ: SNY) to develop and commercialize IL-10 receptor agonists for the treatment of inflammatory diseases. The collaboration will focus on advancing Synthekine’s multiple approaches to optimizing IL-10, with the goal of developing selective agonists that expand therapeutic index.
“We look forward to working with Synthekine, a leader in targeted cytokine engineering with outstanding technologies and scientific team,” said John Bertin, Global Head of Inflammation and Immunology Research at Sanofi. “IL-10 plays a key role in immune regulation, and this collaboration aimed at developing precisely tailored IL-10 therapies reaffirms our commitment to deliver the next wave of novel therapies to treat inflammatory diseases.”
“We are excited to partner with Sanofi, both a global biopharmaceutical leader and a leader in immunology, on IL-10, a high-value target with tremendous potential to regulate and suppress inflammatory immune responses,” said Debanjan Ray, Chief Executive Officer of Synthekine. “This strategic collaboration will advance our broad efforts on IL-10 to capture the full therapeutic potential of this important target and leverages both our cytokine partial agonist platform and our surrogate cytokine agonist platform.”
Under the terms of the agreement, Synthekine and Sanofi will collaborate on research activities up to a defined point of preclinical development. Sanofi will assume sole responsibility for subsequent preclinical, clinical, and commercial activities for the IL-10 therapeutics. Synthekine will receive a $40 million
IL-10 is an important immune-regulatory cytokine that attracted substantial clinical interest in the past for use as an immunosuppressive agent. Alongside promising efficacy, however, clinical studies of recombinant human IL-10 showed dose-limiting toxicity, due in part to IL-10’s pleiotropic activity on various immune cells. Synthekine is harnessing the immunosuppressive activity of IL-10 while engineering out its immunostimulatory effects, and thus decoupling efficacy and toxicity. Learn more about Synthekine’s cytokine partial agonist platform and surrogate cytokine agonist platform here .
About Synthekine
Synthekine is harnessing the potential of cytokine therapeutics to develop selective immunotherapies designed to improve the treatment paradigm of cancer and inflammatory disease. Using insights on cytokine structure and function, the company engineers therapeutics designed to unlock the full efficacy potential of cytokines while avoiding their associated toxicities. Synthekine is applying principles of cytokine partial agonism and immunological specificity across multiple protein engineering platforms to create a broad and deep pipeline of product candidates. These novel immunotherapies include modified cytokines, cytokine-enhanced cell therapies and surrogate cytokine agonists. For more information, visit www.synthekine.com , and follow us on Twitter @synthekine and LinkedIn .
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Source: Synthekine Inc.
What is the collaboration between Synthekine and Sanofi about?
Synthekine and Sanofi are collaborating to develop and commercialize IL-10 receptor agonists for the treatment of inflammatory diseases.
What is the upfront payment that Synthekine will receive from Sanofi?
Synthekine will receive a $40 million upfront payment from Sanofi.
What is the role of Sanofi in the collaboration?
Sanofi will assume sole responsibility for subsequent preclinical, clinical, and commercial activities for the IL-10 therapeutics.
What are the potential additional payments that Synthekine is eligible for in the collaboration?
Synthekine is eligible for additional payments, including potential preclinical, development, regulatory, and commercial milestones, as well as tiered royalties on net sales.
What is the focus of the collaboration between Synthekine and Sanofi?
The collaboration aims to develop selective agonists that expand therapeutic index, focusing on advancing Synthekine’s multiple approaches to optimizing IL-10.
