DIJON, France—Oncodesign, a drug discovery company andprovider of oncology pharmacology services, has announced the establishment ofa new partnership. The French company will be teaming up with Sanofi in astrategic research collaboration to apply Oncodesign's Nanocyclix technology toseveral of Sanofi's kinase target programs.
"We are very pleased that Sanofi, a world leader amongstpharmaceutical companies, has selected Oncodesign as a partner for advancingtheir internal kinase programs," Dr. Philippe Genne, CEO and founder ofOncodesign, said in a press release. "This agreement further validates thedevelopment of our company into a platform company with innovative technologiesin medicinal chemistry and advanced oncological pharmacology."
Per the terms of the agreement, Oncodesign will exclusivelyapply its Nanocyclix technology platform in several of Sanofi's kinase programs,which cover a range of therapeutic indications, over the course of four years.None of the kinase programs were disclosed. In return, Oncodesign will receivea technology access fee, and is eligible for discovery, development, regulatoryand commercial milestone payments totaling up to EUR 130 million (approximately$168.5 million), as well as low-single digit royalties on net sales of productsresulting from the agreement.
Nanocyclix is Oncodesign's proprietary medicinal chemistrytechnology and research platform, based on macrocyclisation chemicalmethodology knowledge. The platform enables access to potent, selective kinaseinhibitors based on shape complementarity in the ATP binding site of kinases.Even in kinases with high homology, the approach allows for high selectivity,in addition to allowing rapid improvement in the pharmacokinetic properties ofNanocyclix leads. Oncodesign notes on its website that "conceptually, theNanocyclix technology enhances a ligand's potency and selectivity towards its receptordue to conformational pre-organization and tighter binding site recognition."
Applying the Nanocyclix technology provides high selectivityand selectivity, good drug-like properties, differentiated resistance profiles,predictable SAR and accelerated discovery cycles. It is expected that applyingOncodesign's Nanocyclix platform to Sanofi's kinase programs will enable aquicker selection of development candidates for a variety of kinase targets inkinase families that are known to be difficult to target.
"This new Agreement illustrates the leading position ofOncodesign in the kinase inhibitor field. Our Nanocyclix technology is nowclearly established as a high value, differentiating approach that gives accessto next generation kinase inhibitors in multiple therapeutic indications," JanHoflack, Ph.D., chief scientific officer of Oncodesign, said in a statementregarding the agreement.
The collaboration is Oncodesign's second major partnershipof the year. The company announced in January that it had established aresearch collaboration with Ipsen for the discovery and development ofinnovative LRRK2 kinase inhibitors as possible therapeutic agents againstParkinson's disease and in other therapeutic areas. Oncodesign is leveragingits Nanocyclix platform in that collaboration as well. The agreement grantsIpsen two exclusive options to exclusively license Oncodesign's LRRK2 inhibitorprogram, particularly upon the successful attainment of clinical proof ofconcept, with worldwide development, manufacturing and commercializationrights. In return, Oncodesign will receive a technology access fee as well asfunding for research and early development. Additionally, if Ipsen exercisesits options, Oncodesign will receive opt-in fees, development, regulatory andcommercial milestone payments totaling up to EUR 115 million (approximately$149.4 million) and tiered royalties on net sales.