Sanofi Pasteur and MedImmune collaborate on monoclonal antibody to prevent illnesses associated with RSV
MEDI8897 has been engineered to have a long half-life so that only one dose would be needed for the entire RSV season.
Sanofi and its vaccines global business unit Sanofi Pasteur has announced an agreement with MedImmune, the global biologics research and development arm of AstraZeneca, to develop and commercialize a monoclonal antibody - MEDI8897 - for the prevention of Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) associated illness in newborns and infants. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, RSV is the most common cause of lower respiratory tract infections in children younger than 1 year of age in the US and worldwide.
MEDI8897 is a highly potent monoclonal antibody (mAb) that neutralizes RSV by binding the RSV fusion (F) protein expressed on virions and infected cells; it has been engineered to have a long half-life so that only one dose would be needed for the entire RSV season. It is being developed for the passive immunization of the infant population. MEDI8897 is currently being investigated in a Phase IIb study in preterm infants with plans for a Phase III trial in healthy full-term infants. MEDI8897 received fast-track designation from the FDA in 2015.
"RSV is considered to be the most important missing indication in the vaccination schedule of newborns," said David Loew, Sanofi Executive Vice President and head of Sanofi Pasteur. "As a global leader in the pediatric vaccine industry, this deal with MedImmune therefore makes perfect sense for Sanofi Pasteur. RSV causes major, seasonal worldwide outbreaks and the severity is predominant among young infants," he continued. "We look forward to working with MedImmune to offer a solution to this common lower-respiratory disease when infants are most vulnerable."
Under the terms of the agreement, Sanofi Pasteur will make an upfront payment of €120 million and pay up to €495 million upon achievement of certain development and sales-related milestones. The two companies will share all costs and profits equally. MedImmune will continue to lead all development activity up to the first approval, and AstraZeneca will retain MEDI8897 manufacturing activities. Sanofi-Pasteur will lead the commercialization activities for MEDI8897.
Related News
-
News Pharmapack Awards 2024 Patient-Centric Design Award Winner – Dr Ferrer BioPharma
The 2024 Pharmapack Awards celebrated the best in innovation and design for the pharmaceutical packaging and drug delivery industry on January 24, 2024. -
News Women in Pharma: Minding the Gap at Pharmapack 2024
2024 marks the first year Pharmapack will host a Diversity track dedicated to bridging the gap within the pharmaceutical packaging and drug delivery sector. The track includes a panel discussion on 'Enabling Diversity in the Workplace,' focused... -
News Pharmapack Awards 2024 - Celebrating Packaging and Drug Delivery Innovation
The 2024 Pharmapack Innovation Awards ceremony celebrated the best in pharmaceutical packaging and drug delivery innovation at all levels. The awards were held on January 24, 2024 at the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles. -
News 2024 Pharma Industry Trends Outlook: Collaboration, Market Maturity, and Digital Futures
The annual CPHI Online 2024 Pharma Trends Outlook, in partnership with Arvato Systems, identifies 12 key industry trends shaping the life sciences industry in the coming year. -
News New Novo Nordisk AI hub for drug discovery to open in London, UK
Danish pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk will be opening an AI-based research facility in the heart of London to advance drug discovery operations. -
News BioNTech to begin mRNA vaccine manufacturing in Rwanda by 2025
German biotechnology company BioNTech has stated their intentions to begin production at their mRNA vaccine factory in Rwanda by 2025, which will mark the first foreign mRNA vaccine manufacturing site on the continent of Africa. -
News Women in Pharma: Looking back on 2023 and moving forward to 2024
In this monthly series, we interview women from across the pharmaceutical industry and supply chain to discuss the importance of gender diversity in healthcare, the workplace, and beyond. -
News CPHI Barcelona 2023: Partnering for Success – Managing Outsourcing Relationships to Optimise Manufacturing Operations
During CPHI Barcelona 2023, insightful content sessions offered attendees the chance to explore trending topics with expert speakers and panellists. Here, we summarise what the pharma industry and supply chain are talking about the most.
Position your company at the heart of the global Pharma industry with a CPHI Online membership
-
Your products and solutions visible to thousands of visitors within the largest Pharma marketplace
-
Generate high-quality, engaged leads for your business, all year round
-
Promote your business as the industry’s thought-leader by hosting your reports, brochures and videos within your profile
-
Your company’s profile boosted at all participating CPHI events
-
An easy-to-use platform with a detailed dashboard showing your leads and performance