Evotec and Sanofi enter pre-clinical deal
pharmafile | December 3, 2014 | News story | Research and Development, Sales and Marketing | DiaPep277, Evotec, Sanofi, oncology, priftin, toulouse
Evotec and Sanofi have entered negotiations for a major multi-component strategic alliance worth around €250 million over the next five years.
Focussing on initiatives aimed at improving drug discovery and pre-clinical development, the collaboration will also see German-based Evotec acquire Sanofi’s scientific operations in Toulouse.
The partnership will also involve collaboration on selected pre-clinical growth projects with initial focus in oncology.
“This collaboration is a major milestone in the drug discovery space and accelerates Evotec’s strategy to become the leading drug discovery partner to the pharma and biotech industry as well as academia,” says Dr Werner Lanthaler, chief executive of Evotec.
Expected to be signed in the first half of next year, the partnership will combine Evotec and the French firm’s combined pipelines in order to be made available for screening.
Last year Sanofi cast doubt upon the future of its own Toulouse site when it proclaimed the research centre was ‘overly costly’, but said it would keep the facility open for a further five years however.
But now with this new commitment, the 200 researcher-strong lab in France is in Evotec’s hands and will be boosted by the German firm’s 650 scientists.
“Open innovation is a key driver of Sanofi’s strategy. We believe Evotec will be an ideal partner, a company that fits our quality expectations and our strategic vision,” says Dr Elias Zerhouni, president global R&D for Sanofi.
Approved and terminated
Individually the two firms have had a mixed 2014, but the aims of this deal on the eve of a new year will be to expand a combined portfolio. Amongst the mix will be Sanofi’s Priftin (rifapentine) which only yesterday saw FDA approval.
Permitted for the treatment of active pulmonary TB in the US since 1998, this ruling will now allow the drug to be used in conjunction with isoniazid to treat latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI).
Evotec on the other hand saw its diabetes drug DiaPep277 terminated following ‘serious misconduct’ during one of its trials.
Tom Robinson
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