Sanofi, Transgene partner to develop new platform to produce immunotherapy products

Both the companies will equally finance €10m as an investment in the innovation of the industrial platform at Genzyme Polyclonals site in Lyon – Gerland area.

Transgene chairman and chief executive officer Philippe Archinard said the agreement with Sanofi Group combines expertise of experts and pioneers in the areas of gene therapy and vaccines.

"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," Archinard added.

Sanofi, which will hold the new technology as its exclusive property, and Genzyme will serve as contract manufacturing organizations (CMO) of Transgene.

Transgene’s CMO will manufacture clinical and commercial batches of drug substance of its immunotherapy products such as MVA therapeutic vaccines.

For a period of 15 years, Transgene will be a preferred customer of the commercial manufacturing platform, according to the deal .

Sanofi Pasteur president and CEO Olivier Charmeil said, "The Lyon area is a strategic place for Sanofi in the field of immunology, and I am extremely pleased to announce this collaboration with Transgene, representing a total investment of 10 million euro on Genzyme Polyclonals site in the Lyon Gerland area."

The construction, qualification and validation of the Genzyme’s manufacturing suite for the production of immunotherapy products will commence in the third quarter of 2013 and is expected to complete in the first quarter of 2015.

Initial batches of commercial grade products from the site are likely to be out in 2015.

In 2016, Transgene anticipates filing its first BLA.

Image: Genzyme Polyclonals site in Lyon is presently manufacturing polyclonal antibodies for the worldwide markets. Photo: Tim Pierce.