The deal will see Sanofi and Seagen collaborate on antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) candidates targeting up to three cancer targets. 

Sanofi will leverage its monoclonal antibody (mAb) technology with Seagen’s ADC platform in the partnership. Specific financials are scarce, but Sanofi will make an undisclosed payment to Seagen for each of the three targets as they are selected. The development costs and future profits will be shared between the two companies. 

“This collaboration will enable the synergistic combination of molecules and platforms to produce candidate medicines with the potential of bringing renewed hope to cancer patients and their families,” said John Reed, Sanofi’s head of R&D. “We look forward to joining forces with Seagen to collaboratively design and develop promising medicines by advancing antibody-drug conjugate science.” 

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Seagen is a pioneer in the ADC space, having received approval for four products in the US – the first, Adcetris (brentuximab vedotin), was approved in 2011, and the latest, Tivdak (tisotumab vedotin), received the FDA thumbs up in September last year. 

Sanofi’s relations with ADCs, however, have been turbulent. The French pharma giant first entered the arena in 2003 through a pact with ImmunoGen. But various setbacks and adjustments to the contract have left Sanofi with just one ADC in its pipeline – tusamitamab ravtansine, currently in Phase II trials for several cancers. 

Clay Siegall, Seagen’s CEO, said: “We are excited to be working with Sanofi, a global biopharmaceutical leader, to identify new ways to potentially address unmet medical needs of cancer patients. Jointly developing novel ADCs by combining antibodies from Sanofi with Seagen’s proprietary ADC technology, aligns with our strategic priorities to expand the global potential of our pipeline with new first- or best-in-class programs.”