Sanofi-aventis, Avila ink pact to discover targeted covalent drugs for cancer

Under the alliance agreement Sanofi-aventis obtains a worldwide exclusive license to develop and commercialize the compounds

As part of the research alliance, Sanofi-aventis will work together with Avila to design targeted covalent drugs directed towards six signaling proteins that are critical in tumor cells.

Under the terms of the agreement, for the selected targets Sanofi-aventis will have access to Avila’s proprietary Avilomics platform that offers a unique approach to ‘protein silencing’ that cannot be achieved through traditional medicinal chemistry.

Avila has the opportunity to retain the rights to one of the six collaboration programs after the end of the initial three-year collaboration term and Sanofi-aventis retains a right of first negotiation for such program should Avila decide to partner that program.

Avila will receive up to 40m US dollars in upfront and research support payments, and is eligible to receive pre-clinical, clinical and regulatory milestone payments up to 154m US dollars per collaboration program if the respective product is approved in the US, Europe and Japan.

Additionally, Avila may also receive staged royalties and commercial milestones on product sales in each of the programs advanced by sanofi-aventis.

Avila president and CEO Katrine Bosley said the partnership directs the combination of their relevant Avilomics platform and sanofi-aventis’ oncology insights towards the goal of delivering medicines for patients who are fighting serious diseases.