Sanofi and Transgene collaborate on immunotherapy treatments; NAS designation of Aubagio disputed

Drug major Sanofi (Euronext: SAN) and fellow France-based biotech firm Transgene SA (NYSE-Euronext: TNG) have entered a collaboration agreement for the creation of a new state-of-the-art industrial platform dedicated to the production of immunotherapy products including Transgene’s therapeutic products.

The platform will be realized on Sanofi subsidiary Genzyme Polyclonals site in Lyon - Gerland area for an investment amount of 10 million euros (around $13 million) equally financed by Sanofi and Transgene. The Platform will remain Sanofi’s exclusive property. Sanofi and Genzyme will act as Transgene’s contract manufacturing organization (CMO) to produce clinical and commercial batches of drug substance of Transgene’s immunotherapy products, including its MVA therapeutic vaccines. Transgene will be a preferred customer of the commercial manufacturing platform for 15 years.

Philippe Archinard, chairman and chief executive of Transgene, commented: “This collaboration will secure Transgene’s commercial production over the long run, enabling us to focus our resources on development and marketing of our products.”