Exscientia and Sanofi establish strategic research collaboration to
develop AI-driven pipeline of precision-engineered medicines
Exscientia and Sanofi establish
strategic research collaboration to develop AI-driven pipeline of
precision-engineered medicines
- Collaborative efforts aim to accelerate drug discovery and
improve clinical success
- Agreement to utilize Exscientia’s AI-based capabilities and
personalised medicine platform from target identification through
patient selection
- Research will be focused on up to 15 novel small molecule
candidates across oncology and immunology
- Exscientia will receive an upfront cash payment of $100 million
with the potential of $5.2 billion in total milestones plus tiered
royalties
PARIS, OXFORD, and BOSTON – January 7, 2022 –
Sanofi and Exscientia announced today a groundbreaking research
collaboration and license agreement to develop up to 15 novel small
molecule candidates across oncology and immunology, leveraging
Exscientia’s end-to-end AI-driven platform utilizing actual patient
samples. The companies have been working together since 2016 and in
2019, Sanofi in-licensed Exscientia’s novel bispecific small
molecule candidate capable of targeting two distinct targets in
inflammation and immunology.
“We look forward to deepening our work with Exscientia, a leader
in leveraging AI to modernize all aspects of drug discovery and
development,” said Frank Nestle, Global Head of Research and Chief
Scientific Officer, Sanofi. “Sanofi’s collaboration with Exscientia
aims to transform how we discover and develop new small molecule
medicines for cancer and immune-mediated diseases. Application of
sophisticated AI and machine learning methods will not only shorten
drug discovery timelines, but will also help to design higher
quality and better targeted medicines for patients.”
Exscientia and Sanofi will collaborate to identify and select
target projects, leveraging Exscientia’s personalised medicine
platform. The platform enables a “patient-first” approach through
integrating primary human tissue samples into early target and drug
discovery research. By doing so, Exscientia scientists can
integrate patient, disease, and clinically relevant data into
decisions on potential new medicine candidates earlier in the drug
creation process. In addition to target discovery, Exscientia will
lead small molecule drug design and lead optimization activities up
to development candidate nomination, with Sanofi assuming
responsibility for preclinical and clinical development,
manufacturing and commercialization.
“It is immensely exciting to collaborate with Sanofi with our
goal of realizing the full potential of AI to deliver the next
generation of cancer and immunology medicines,” said Andrew
Hopkins, DPhil, CEO and founder of Exscientia. “Our AI-driven
platform can be leveraged across drug discovery, translational
research and development, with applications ranging from improving
the precision medicine and quality of drug candidates to enriching
for patient selection in clinical trials. Our expanded
collaboration with Sanofi will utilise the breadth of our platform
to test AI-designed drug candidates against patient tissue models,
potentially providing far better accuracy than conventional
approaches such as mouse models. When you consider the change this
represents – testing candidates against actual human tissue years
before a clinical trial – it’s transformative.”
Under the terms of the agreement, Exscientia will receive an
upfront cash payment of $100 million from Sanofi and will be
eligible to receive future research, translational, clinical
development, regulatory and commercial milestone payments of up to
approximately $5.2 billion in aggregate, if all milestones for all
programs are achieved. In the case that Sanofi commercializes a
therapeutic from the collaboration, Exscientia will also be
eligible to receive tiered royalties on product sales ranging from
high-single-digits to mid-teens and an option for clinical
co-investment to increase the royalty rate up to 21% on net sales
of co-funded products. The upfront cash payment of $100 million is
expected to be reflected in the first quarter 2022 financial
results of Exscientia as cash inflows from collaborations and
recognized as revenue over the duration of the agreement.
About Exscientia
Exscientia is an AI-driven pharmatech company committed to
discovering, designing and developing the best possible drugs in
the fastest and most effective manner. Exscientia developed the
first-ever functional precision oncology platform to successfully
guide treatment selection and improve patient outcomes in a
prospective interventional clinical study, as well as to progress
AI-designed small molecules into the clinical setting. Our pipeline
demonstrates our ability to rapidly translate scientific concepts
into precision-designed therapeutic candidates, with more than 25
projects advancing, including the first three AI-designed drug
candidates to enter Phase 1 clinical trials.
Exscientia has offices in Oxford, Vienna, Dundee, Boston, Miami,
and Osaka. For more information visit us on
https://www.exscientia.ai or follow us on Twitter
@exscientiaAI.
About Sanofi
Sanofi is dedicated to supporting people through
their health challenges. We are a global biopharmaceutical company
focused on human health. We prevent illness with vaccines, provide
innovative treatments to fight pain and ease suffering. We stand by
the few who suffer from rare diseases and the millions with
long-term chronic conditions.
With more than 100,000 people in 100 countries, Sanofi is
transforming scientific innovation into healthcare solutions around
the globe.
Sanofi Media Relations ContactsSally BainTel:
+1 (781) 264-1091Sally.Bain@sanofi.com
Sandrine GuendoulTel.: +33 (0)6 25 09 14
25Sandrine.Guendoul@sanofi.com
Sanofi Investor Relations Contacts ParisEva
Schaefer-JansenArnaud DelepineNathalie Pham
Sanofi Investor Relations Contacts North
AmericaFelix Lauscher
Tel.: +33 (0)1 53 77 45
45investor.relations@sanofi.comhttps://www.sanofi.com/en/investors/contact
Exscientia Media Relations
ContactAmanda Galgayagalgay@exscientia.ai
Exscientia Investor Relations
ContactSara Shermaninvestors@exscientia.ai
Exscientia Forward-Looking
Statements
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements
within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements with
regard to Exscientia’s expectations regarding the ability of its
AI-supported personalised medicine platform to design and develop
novel small molecule candidates across oncology and immunology.
Words such as “anticipates,” “believes,” “expects,” “intends,”
“projects,” “anticipates,” and “future” or similar expressions are
intended to identify forward-looking statements. These
forward-looking statements are subject to the uncertainties
inherent in predicting future results and conditions and no
assurance can be given that the AI-supported personalised medicine
platform discussed above will be successful in developing novel
small molecule candidates in the oncology and immunology fields or
achieving any milestone in its agreement with Sanofi. Exscientia
undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any
forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information,
future events or otherwise, except as may be required by law.
Sanofi Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements as
defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as
amended. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not
historical facts. These statements include projections and
estimates and their underlying assumptions, statements regarding
plans, objectives, intentions and expectations with respect to
future financial results, events, operations, services, product
development and potential, and statements regarding future
performance. Forward-looking statements are generally identified by
the words “expects”, “anticipates”, “believes”, “intends”,
“estimates”, “plans” and similar expressions. Although Sanofi’s
management believes that the expectations reflected in such
forward-looking statements are reasonable, investors are cautioned
that forward-looking information and statements are subject to
various risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to
predict and generally beyond the control of Sanofi, that could
cause actual results and developments to differ materially from
those expressed in, or implied or projected by, the forward-looking
information and statements. These risks and uncertainties include
among other things, the uncertainties inherent in research and
development, future clinical data and analysis, including post
marketing, decisions by regulatory authorities, such as the FDA or
the EMA, regarding whether and when to approve any drug, device or
biological application that may be filed for any such product
candidates as well as their decisions regarding labelling and other
matters that could affect the availability or commercial potential
of such product candidates, the fact that product candidates if
approved may not be commercially successful, the future approval
and commercial success of therapeutic alternatives, Sanofi’s
ability to benefit from external growth opportunities, to complete
related transactions and/or obtain regulatory clearances, risks
associated with intellectual property and any related pending or
future litigation and the ultimate outcome of such litigation,
trends in exchange rates and prevailing interest rates, volatile
economic and market conditions, cost containment initiatives and
subsequent changes thereto, and the impact that COVID-19 will have
on us, our customers, suppliers, vendors, and other business
partners, and the financial condition of any one of them, as well
as on our employees and on the global economy as a whole. Any
material effect of COVID-19 on any of the foregoing could also
adversely impact us. This situation is changing rapidly and
additional impacts may arise of which we are not currently aware
and may exacerbate other previously identified risks. The risks and
uncertainties also include the uncertainties discussed or
identified in the public filings with the SEC and the AMF made by
Sanofi, including those listed under “Risk Factors” and “Cautionary
Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” in Sanofi’s annual
report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2020. Other
than as required by applicable law, Sanofi does not undertake any
obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information or
statements.
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