Kali Therapeutics has announced that it has entered into a licensing agreement with French drugmaker Sanofi to develop experimental treatments for a broad range of B-cell-mediated autoimmune diseases.
Under the agreement, Sanofi will obtain exclusive worldwide rights to KT501, a novel tri-specific antibody utilizing Kali Therapeutics’ proprietary discovery and research platform.
Kali Therapeutics will receive upfront and near-term payments totaling $180 million and is also eligible to receive up to a total of $1.05 billion in development and commercial milestone payments and tiered royalties on product sales ranging from the high-single to double digits.
“We are thrilled to collaborate with Sanofi, a global leader in immunology, to advance the development of KT501, our lead tri-specific program,” said Weihao Xu, CEO of Kali Therapeutics. “Our platform leverages state-of-the-art protein engineering to solve complex therapeutic challenges. This collaboration highlights the potential of our unique CD3 masking technology to decouple potency from toxicity, aiming to provide safer, more effective options for patients.”
Weihao Xu, CEO of Kali Therapeutics, added: “Autoimmune diseases require treatments that are not only highly potent but also exhibit a superior safety profile. KT501 represents a significant leap forward in this regard. By depleting a broad range of B cell populations effectively while minimizing cytokine release, we believe KT501 can address significant unmet needs of autoimmune patients. We are confident that Sanofi’s extensive expertise will accelerate the development of this promising therapy.”
Sanofi already markets Kevzara, an approved rheumatoid arthritis drug developed with Regeneron Pharmaceuticals.
Read CEO North America’s exclusive interview with Greg Ross, President of Opella North America here
By CEO NA Editorial Staff
