Translate Bio Inc. (Lexington, Mass.) partnered with the Sanofi Pasteur division of Sanofi (Euronext:SAN; NYSE:SNY) to develop mRNA vaccines against up to five undisclosed pathogens for infectious diseases.
Translate is to receive $45 million up front and is eligible for $760 million in milestones and option fees, plus tiered royalties. Sanofi Pasteur will fund joint R&D and will receive exclusive, worldwide rights to commercialize vaccines developed under the three-year deal.
Sanofi Pasteur has also entered an mRNA vaccines deal with CureVac AG (Tuebingen, Germany), under which the pharma has exercised at least one option to develop a candidate. Sanofi also has a pact with mRNA company BioNTech AG (Mainz, Germany) to discover and develop mRNA-based cancer immunotherapies (see BioCentury, Feb. 24, 2017).
Founded in 2011 as RaNa Therapeutics Inc., Translate acquired an mRNA therapeutics development platform from Shire plc (LSE:SHP; NASDAQ:SHPG) in late 2016. Translate's lead program is in Phase I/II testing to treat cystic fibrosis, and the company is developing a preclinical candidate to treat ornithine transcarbamylase (OTC; OCTD) deficiency. Early this month, Translate filed for a $115 million IPO (see BioCentury Extra, June 1).