Agensys Inc., a cancer biotechnology company, entered into an agreement with Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines business of the Sanofi-aventis Group, under which the two companies will collaborate on the research and development of vaccine products directed at colorectal and prostate cancers.
The agreement provides Sanofi Pasteur with exclusive access to a portfolio of Agensys' proprietary colorectal and prostate cancer targets, together with an option to obtain exclusive worldwide licenses to up to six selected targets for the development and commercialisation of vaccine products. The 36-month collaborative research programme, which may be extended up to 12 additional months, will be conducted at both Sanofi Pasteur's facility in Toronto and Agensys' facility in Santa Monica. Agensys will focus on the selection and characterisation of cancer targets, and Sanofi Pasteur will focus on the validation of these targets and the development of vaccine products, claims a company release.
"Collaborating with Sanofi Pasteur, a world leader in the development of vaccine products, validates our strategy of leveraging our proprietary cancer targets into different types of therapeutic product opportunities. Cancer vaccines may well complement other cancer treatments, including antibody therapies, which are the primary focus of Agensys' product development activities," said Donald Rice, chairman, president and CEO of Agensys
Under the terms of the agreement, Agensys will receive an upfront payment, research funding and progress payments during the research programme. Based on the successful development of vaccine products by Sanofi Pasteur, Agensys would receive licensee fees, milestone payments and royalties on sales.
Agensys, Inc. is a privately held biotechnology company that is developing a pipeline of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies to treat solid tumour cancers. These antibodies, many of which are fully human, are being generated to a diverse portfolio of proprietary, clinically relevant cancer targets that encompass 14 types of solid tumours.