Under the terms of the agreement, Crucell will continue to perform the development activities and will manufacture the final product. Crucell will receive a payment of E10 million following the execution of the agreement and would be eligible for milestone payments of up to E66.5 million.
Crucell has developed a combination of two rabies monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) that has shown favorable results comparable to current immunoglobulin products in preclinical trials. Phase I clinical trials demonstrated that the MAb-based product is well tolerated, provides the expected immediate passive neutralizing activity, and that it can be safely administered in combination with a rabies vaccine without interfering with the vaccine’s ability to induce an active immunity.
Wayne Pisano, president and CEO of Sanofi Pasteur, said: “Adding a next generation rabies treatment to our well-established rabies product range will further position the company as a leading force to help prevent this fatal disease.”