The drug candidate is an antimicrobial peptide named Plectasin NZ2114 that targets the treatment of infections such as pneumonia and septicemia, caused by bacteria like Staphylococcus and Streptococcus.
Under the terms of the agreement, Sanofi-Aventis has been granted an exclusive worldwide license for the development, registration and commercialization of the drug. The two companies are expected to jointly work to develop and implement commercial-scale manufacturing of the Plectasin NZ2114 drug substance, with the goal of introducing a recombinant process building on Novozymes’s proprietary expression technology.
Marc Cluzel, senior vice president of R&D at Sanofi-Aventis, said: The innovative mechanism of action of Plectasin NZ2114 makes it potentially active against bacteria resistant to currently available treatments. We are looking forward to developing Plectasin NZ2114 for the treatment of severe infections such as pneumonia, septicemia, and complicated skin and soft tissue infections.
Per Falholt, Executive Vice President of R&D at Novozymes, said: Plectasin NZ2114 is the first drug candidate that Novozymes has outlicensed for further preclinical and clinical development. Teaming up with one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world is the type of collaborations we were looking for.