Paris, June 2, 2022. Sanofi restructures its immuno-oncology collaboration with Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Under the amended and restated license and collaboration agreement, Regeneron will obtain worldwide exclusive license rights to Libtayo. The Sanofi and Regeneron global immuno-oncology license and collaboration agreement was originally executed in 2015. Prior to today, the companies had split Libtayo’s worldwide operating profits equally and co-commercialized Libtayo in the U.S., with Sanofi solely responsible for commercialization in the rest of the world.
Bill Sibold
Executive Vice President of Specialty Care & President of North America, Sanofi
“Our diverse oncology portfolio doubled between 2019 and 2022 and now includes twelve compounds in clinical trials, each with a unique mechanism of action. Our early steps with Libtayo in immuno-oncology provided a strong foundation for our revitalized oncology efforts. Now, we are focused on leveraging our internal capabilities and advancing a new generation of oncology medicines. We continue to maintain a strong partnership with Regeneron in immunology, and will work closely with them on the seamless transition of Libtayo to ensure there is no impact for patients.”
Under the terms of the amended and restated immuno-oncology license and collaboration agreement, Sanofi will transfer the rights to develop, commercialize, and manufacture Libtayo entirely to Regeneron, on a worldwide basis, over the course of a defined transition period (to start upon receipt of any required governmental clearances worldwide). In exchange, Sanofi will receive an upfront payment of $900 million, and an 11% royalty on worldwide net sales of Libtayo. Sanofi will also be entitled to a $100 million regulatory milestone payment upon the first approval by either the FDA or European Commission of Libtayo in combination with chemotherapy for first-line treatment of certain patients with NSCLC, as well as sales-related milestone payments of up to $100 million in total over the next two years. The transaction is subject to clearance under competition law and is expected to close in the third quarter of 2022.
Regeneron will also accelerate reimbursement of the development balance associated with Regeneron and Sanofi’s separate Antibody Collaboration. Regeneron will increase from 10% to 20% the share of its profits that are paid to Sanofi to reimburse Sanofi-funded development expenses, until Regeneron’s share of the total cumulative development costs incurred under the collaboration has been reached.
Sanofi continues to build its considerable expertise in oncology and has increased research and development capabilities, focusing on difficult to treat cancers including breast, blood, and lung. We are committed to translating scientific discoveries into potential new treatments and addressing critical gaps in cancer care.
About Libtayo
Libtayo is a fully human monoclonal antibody targeting the immune checkpoint receptor PD-1 on T-cells. By binding to PD-1, Libtayo has been shown to block cancer cells from using the PD-1 pathway to suppress T-cell activation. Libtayo is indicated in certain patients with advanced basal cell carcinoma (BCC), advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC), and advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
The extensive clinical program for Libtayo is focused on difficult-to-treat cancers. Libtayo is currently being investigated in trials as a monotherapy, as well as in combination with either conventional or novel therapeutic approaches for other solid tumors and blood cancers. These potential uses are investigational, and their safety and efficacy have not been evaluated by any regulatory authority.
U.S. FDA-approved Indications
Libtayo is a prescription medicine used to treat people with:
- A type of skin cancer called cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) that has spread or cannot be cured by surgery or radiation.
- A type of skin cancer called basal cell carcinoma (BCC):
- That cannot be removed by surgery (locally advanced BCC) and have received treatment with a hedgehog inhibitor (HHI), or cannot receive treatment with an HHI.
- That has spread (metastatic BCC) and have received treatment with an HHI, or cannot receive treatment with an HHI. This use is approved based on how many patients responded to treatment and how long they responded. Studies are ongoing to provide additional information about clinical benefit.
- A type of lung cancer called non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Libtayo may be used as your first treatment when your lung cancer has not spread outside your chest (locally advanced lung cancer) and you cannot have surgery or chemotherapy with radiation, or your lung cancer has spread to other areas of your body (metastatic lung cancer), and your tumor tests positive for high “PD-L1” and your tumor does not have an abnormal “EGFR”, “ALK” or “ROS1” gene.
It is not known if Libtayo is safe and effective in children.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION AND INDICATION FOR U.S. PATIENTS
What is the most important information I should know about Libtayo?
Libtayo is a medicine that may treat certain cancers by working with your immune system. Libtayo can cause your immune system to attack normal organs and tissues in any area of your body and can affect the way they work. These problems can sometimes become severe or life-threatening and can lead to death. You can have more than one of these problems at the same time. These problems may happen anytime during treatment or even after your treatment has ended.
Call or see your healthcare provider right away if you develop any new or worsening signs or symptoms, including:
- Lung problems: cough, shortness of breath, or chest pain
- Intestinal problems: diarrhea (loose stools) or more frequent bowel movements than usual, stools that are black, tarry, sticky or have blood or mucus, or severe stomach area (abdomen) pain or tenderness
- Liver problems: yellowing of your skin or the whites of your eyes, severe nausea or vomiting, pain on the right side of your stomach area (abdomen), dark urine (tea colored), or bleeding or bruising more easily than normal
- Hormone gland problems: headache that will not go away or unusual headaches, eye sensitivity to light, eye problems, rapid heartbeat, increased sweating, extreme tiredness, weight gain or weight loss, feeling more hungry or thirsty than usual, urinating more often than usual, hair loss, feeling cold, constipation, your voice gets deeper, dizziness or fainting, or changes in mood or behavior, such as decreased sex drive, irritability, or forgetfulness
- Kidney problems: decrease in your amount of urine, blood in your urine, swelling of your ankles, or loss of appetite
- Skin problems: rash, itching, skin blistering or peeling, painful sores or ulcers in mouth or nose, throat, or genital area, fever or flu-like symptoms, or swollen lymph nodes
- Problems can also happen in other organs and tissues. These are not all of the signs and symptoms of immune system problems that can happen with Libtayo. Call or see your healthcare provider right away for any new or worsening signs or symptoms, which may include: chest pain, irregular heartbeat, shortness of breath or swelling of ankles, confusion, sleepiness, memory problems, changes in mood or behavior, stiff neck, balance problems, tingling or numbness of the arms or legs, double vision, blurry vision, sensitivity to light, eye pain, changes in eyesight, persistent or severe muscle pain or weakness, muscle cramps, low red blood cells, or bruising
- Infusion reactions that can sometimes be severe. Signs and symptoms of infusion reactions may include: nausea, chills or shaking, itching or rash, flushing, shortness of breath or wheezing, dizziness, feel like passing out, fever, back or neck pain, or facial swelling.
- Rejection of a transplanted organ. Your healthcare provider should tell you what signs and symptoms you should report and monitor you, depending on the type of organ transplant that you have had.
- Complications, including graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), in people who have received a bone marrow (stem cell) transplant that uses donor stem cells (allogeneic). These complications can be serious and can lead to death. These complications may happen if you underwent transplantation either before or after being treated with Libtayo. Your healthcare provider will monitor you for these complications.
Getting medical treatment right away may help keep these problems from becoming more serious.
Your healthcare provider will check you for these problems during your treatment with Libtayo. Your healthcare provider may treat you with corticosteroid or hormone replacement medicines. Your healthcare provider may also need to delay or completely stop treatment with Libtayo if you have severe side effects.
Before you receive Libtayo, tell your healthcare provider about all your medical conditions, including if you:
- have immune system problems such as Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, or lupus
- have received an organ transplant
- have received or plan to receive a stem cell transplant that uses donor stem cells (allogeneic)
- have a condition that affects your nervous system, such as myasthenia gravis or Guillain-Barré syndrome are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Libtayo can harm your unborn baby
Females who are able to become pregnant:
- Your healthcare provider will give you a pregnancy test before you start treatment.
- You should use an effective method of birth control during your treatment and for at least 4 months after your last dose of Libtayo. Talk with your healthcare provider about birth control methods that you can use during this time.
- Tell your healthcare provider right away if you become pregnant or think you may be pregnant during treatment with Libtayo.
- are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if Libtayo passes into your breast milk. Do not breastfeed during treatment and for at least 4 months after the last dose of Libtayo.
Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.
The most common side effects of Libtayo include muscle or bone pain, tiredness, rash, and diarrhea. These are not all the possible side effects of Libtayo. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088. You may also report side effects to Regeneron Pharmaceuticals and Sanofi at 1-877-542-8296.
Please see full Prescribing Information, including Medication Guide.
About Sanofi
We are an innovative global healthcare company, driven by one purpose: we chase the miracles of science to improve people’s lives. Our team, across some 100 countries, is dedicated to transforming the practice of medicine by working to turn the impossible into the possible. We provide potentially life-changing treatment options and life-saving vaccine protection to millions of people globally, while putting sustainability and social responsibility at the center of our ambitions.
Sanofi is listed on EURONEXT: SAN and NASDAQ: SNY
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