Sanofi inks deal with Translate Bio on mRNA vaccines

Sanofi and Translate Bio have expanded their existing collaboration in a new deal, which will focus on the development of mRNA vaccines for infectious diseases.

As part of the deal, Translate is set to receive an upfront payment of $425m, consisting of a $300m  cash payment and a private placement common stock investment of $125m. Translate is also eligible to receive up to $1.9bn in potential milestone payments and royalties.

Of those potential milestones, approximately $360m is anticipated over the coming years, including COVID-19 vaccine development milestones.

In return, Sanofi will receive exclusive worldwide rights to develop, manufacture and commercialise any infectious disease vaccine developed using Translate’s technology. Sanofi is also set to pay for all costs during the collaboration term, including clinical and development costs.

As part of this collaboration, Translate will leverage its mRNA platform to discover, design and manufacture vaccine candidate, while Sanofi’s vaccine global business unit, Sanofi Pasteur, will provide its vaccine expertise to advance vaccine candidates into and through further development.

Translate Bio will also transfer technology and processes to allow Sanofi Pasteur to develop and manufacture mRNA vaccines for infectious diseases.

That includes the evaluation of multiple COVID-19 vaccine candidates in vitro, for immunogenicity and neutralising antibody activity to support lead candidate selection. The partner companies then aim to begin a first-in-human clinical trial in the fourth quarter of 2020.

“As all eyes are on prevention of infectious disease through vaccines, this is a pointed moment in time where we are called upon to seek innovative ways to protect public health,” said Thomas Triomphe, executive vice president, Sanofi Pasteur.

“We are excited by the novel technology and expertise Translate Bio brings, and we believe that adding this mRNA platform to our vaccines development capabilities will help us advance prevention against current and future infectious diseases,” he added.

and Translate are also advancing an mRNA vaccine candidate for influenza through preclinical studies, with clinical trial initiation expected by the middle of 2021. Further mRNA vaccine development programmes under the collaboration agreement includes another viral pathogen and a bacterial pathogen.