Sector News

Categories

Borderless Insights

Image
Negotiating Terms with a New Employer
Image
Beyond Flowers and Platitudes: Reclaiming the Essence of International Women’s Day
Image
Visionary or ‘Stuck-in-the-Mud’? Where are you on Workplace Flexibility?

Sanofi signs up Evotec in 250M euro preclinical pact

December 3, 2014
Life sciences
Sanofi is deep in talks with Evotec about a five-year “multi-component strategic alliance” that would be worth at least 250 million euros to the German biotech.
 
The firms are holding “exclusive negotiations” about three initiatives, the most striking of which will see Evotec acquire Sanofi’s troubled operations in Toulouse “to build a European centre of excellence for compound management and drug discovery services”.
 
The French drugmaker had planned to run down operations at Toulouse but under pressure from the government and trades unions, in May 2013, it pledged to keep doing research at the site for five more years. Now some 200 of its scientists working in Toulouse will transfer to Evotec.
 
The proposed deal will also see Evotec license from Sanofi a portfolio including “five well-advanced pre-clinical projects in oncology” that will be progressed to the investigational new drug stage jointly before potential partnering. It also includes a “French academic bridge programme”.
 
The third element will see the companies combine their libraries to make them available for screening to Evotec’s partners. Sanofi’s library in Toulouse site has over one million compounds and this, added to Evotec’s 400,000 or so compounds, will create “a very large and valuable source of starting points for drug discovery”.
 
The 250 million euro figure includes a “sizeable upfront cash payment”, plus royalties. Werner Lanthaler, Evotec chief executive, said the collaboration “is a major milestone in the drug discovery space”. It also “accelerates Evotec’s strategy to become the leading drug discovery partner to the pharma and biotech industry as well as academia”.
 
Elias Zerhouni, head of R&D for the Paris-based giant, said  “open innovation is a key driver of Sanofi’s strategy” and Evotec is “a company that fits our quality expectations and our strategic vision”. He added that the collaboration “will secure the future for our employees in Toulouse and importantly accelerate our pipeline productivity”.
 
By Kevin Grogan
 
 

comments closed

Related News

April 26, 2024

Former Bristol Myers CEO tapped as Novartis’ next board chair

Life sciences

Giovanni Caforio, the former CEO of Bristol Myers Squibb, is set to become the next board chairman of Novartis, which on Tuesday proposed the pharmaceutical industry veteran as its pick to replace Joerg Reinhardt in the role next year. Reinhardt has served as Novartis’ chair since 2013 and plans to retire when his 12-year term ends in 2025.

Read more
April 26, 2024

GE HealthCare launches voice-activated, AI-powered ultrasound machines for women’s health

Life sciences

GE HealthCare has raised the curtain on two ultrasound systems equipped with artificial intelligence programs designed to assist in diagnosing conditions in women’s health, including obstetric exams. The Voluson Signature 20 and 18 imaging systems include AI tools capable of automatically identifying and annotating measurements of fetal anatomy.

Read more
April 26, 2024

Scientists reveal new method that could reduce waste from drug manufacturing

Life sciences

Scientists from the University of Edinburgh’s School of Chemistry have revealed a new sustainable method of manufacturing complex molecules that could reduce waste produced during drug production. The method published in Nature Chemistry could help to prevent severe side effects caused by drugs that can exist as enantiomers.

Read more
More news

How can we help you?

We're easy to reach