French drugmaker Sanofi and the American subsidiary of Israel-based Teva Pharmaceutical Industries have partnered to deliver inflammatory bowel disease therapy.
Under the collaboration, both firms will co-develop and co-commercialise Teva’s anti-TL1A drug, TEV’574 asset.
The drug is presently in Phase 2b clinical trials to treat Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn’s Disease, two types of inflammatory bowel disease.
In return, Teva will get an upfront payment of €469m and up to €940m in development and launch milestones.
Under the new collaboration, Sanofi will oversee the development of the Phase 3 programme, and each firm will equally share the costs of worldwide development as well as net earnings and losses in the major markets.
The Israeli pharmaceutical firm will lead the product’s commercialisation in Europe, Israel, and a few other specific nations, while the French firm will handle it in North America, Japan, other parts of Asia, and the rest of the world.
Sanofi CEO Paul Hudson said: “Anti-TL1As are a promising class of therapies, and we believe that TEV’574 could emerge as a best-in-class option for people living with serious gastrointestinal diseases.
“This collaboration strengthens our commitment to advancing innovative treatment options for inflammatory conditions with a high unmet need and bolsters our goal to be an industry leader in immunology.”
The transaction, which combines the R&D and commercial expertise of both companies, will be effective once the usual closing requirements are satisfied.
The initial programme outcomes are anticipated by the second half of next year whereas the late-stage trial is expected to start in 2025, with a commercial launch in 2028.
Teva president and CEO Richard Francis said: “This is a new era for Teva, and our robust, innovative pipeline is key to our Pivot to Growth strategy. This collaboration further validates the great science that Teva has to offer with our internally developed anti-TL1A.
“We are honoured to partner with Sanofi to bring their proven capabilities, leadership, and success in the immunology and gastroenterology space together with our capabilities to optimise development and global launches.”
