Sanofi and Regeneron Expand Drug Alliance, Settle Litigation

Sanofi and Regeneron said they have expanded their drug-development alliance to cover four experimental antibody programs, with Sanofi paying €1 billion upfront and potentially another €7 billion if the programs meet development, regulatory and commercial milestones. The companies also said they settled prior litigation, but did not disclose the terms. Under the agreement, the companies will share development costs and future profits from the new medicines equally. Regeneron will lead research and development, while Sanofi will lead commercialization if the treatments are approved. The existing agreement governing Dupixent, their established inflammatory-disease treatment, remains unchanged, according to the companies. The four programs target pathways involved in type 2 inflammation, the same broad biology addressed by Dupixent. The lead candidate, REGN20423, is an antibody targeting interleukin-13 and is in early clinical testing for atopic dermatitis. The other three candidates are preclinical or are expected to enter clinical testing in 2027, according to descriptions of the pipeline provided by the companies.