Sanofi to acquire Kymab

Sanofi to acquire Kymab, adding a human monoclonal antibody KY1005 to its pipeline

Sanofi will be acquiring Kymab, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company that works on immuno-oncology therapeutics and immune-mediated diseases, developing completely human monoclonal antibodies. The agreement involves a 1.1 billion dollars upfront payment and 350 million dollars upon attaining some milestones. Kymab has developed KY1005, which is a completely human monoclonal antibody with a novel action mechanism. Sanofi will acquire the drug’s rights. The KY1005 can treat several inflammatory and immune-mediated diseases by binding to OX40-Ligand. Sanofi CEO Paul Hudson spoke about the benefits of acquiring the Kymab drug, a prospective first-in-class therapy for such diseases, which in certain patients aren’t adequately responsive to other treatments. The company which works on finding the proper treatment approach for a patient looks forward to developing this investigational medicine.

Kymab CEO Simon Sturge expressed his pleasure regarding the endorsement, which is a testament to its expertise, commitment, and drive. The merger will only accelerate novel treatment delivery to patients with a perfect partner, like Sanofi, which considerable global resources.

KY1005 as a promising antibody for various diseases

As mentioned earlier, Sanofi is to acquire Kymab along with particular drug rights. Kymab declared

in August 2020 that the drug KY1005 met both main conditions of a Phase 2a trial for dermatitis (moderate to severe atopic in nature) where topical corticosteroids insufficiently control the illness. The drug manifested a constant therapy effect compared to placebo across several primary conditions, including EASI (Eczema Area and Severity Index) and added objective clinical steps.

Fundamentally crucial illness pathways are targeted, which lines up with the objectives of acquisition, according to Sanofi R&D Global Head John Reed (M.D., Ph.D.). The drug targets a major regulator of the immune system, OXO40L, which can rebalance the body’s immune system without subduing it and has the potential to guide us on a whole new approach to curing immune-mediated diseases.

The pipeline also comprises an ICOS against monoclonal antibody KY1044 (an oncology asset) right now in its half development phase as a monotherapy along with anti-PD-L1. Sanofi also has the benefit of accessing new research and antibody technology potential.

Transaction terms

Sanofi is to acquire Kymab under transaction terms involving 1.1 billion dollar payment upfront and additional 350 million dollars upon achieving certain goals with on-hand cash. Customary closing conditions, including waiting period termination/expiration according to the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act (1976), regulate the transaction closing. The acquisition is expected to manifest by mid-2021. The acquirer’s legal counsel is Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP, and Kymab is Goodwin PLC, while J.P.Morgan is the latter’s financial advisor.

About Kymab and Sanofi

As Sanofi is to acquire Kymab, let us learn a little about both the companies. Kymab is a clinical-stage company for biopharmaceuticals that targets immune-mediated diseases using monoclonal antibodies that have a fully human origin. It uses Intelliselect, which is a collection of integrated platforms. The company’s Intelliselect Transgenic Platform comprises the most easily understood platforms for monoclonal antibodies, which comprises a multitude of human-based antibodies. This vast diversity of such antibodies aids in figuring out the ideal drug candidates. Kymab Limited holds the trademarks to Kymab and Intelliselect.

Sanofi is a global pharma company with a hundred thousand employees panning across 100 nations dedicated to ease suffering and reduce the pain of illnesses. They are a company focused on finding treatments for chronic diseases and rare conditions.

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