CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Sept. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- In a landmark
study published in the journal Science today, researchers
produced genetically engineered antibodies with the highest
activity and breadth of coverage yet seen against human
immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1).
Natural antibodies recognize a single target on a foreign
protein. In this study, antibodies were engineered to recognize
three different target sites in one molecule. These HIV
"trispecific" antibodies were highly effective in suppressing virus
growth and infection.
"Unlike natural antibodies, trispecific antibodies engage
multiple targets in a single product. This approach to
multi-targeting provides an opportunity to improve protection
against HIV and represents a foundation for potential new
treatments of cancer, immune, and infectious diseases," said
Gary Nabel, Chief Scientific Officer
and Senior Vice President of Sanofi, and lead co-author of the
paper in Science.
A key challenge in using broadly neutralizing HIV antibodies to
tackle the ongoing HIV pandemic is overcoming the remarkable
genetic diversity of viruses around the world.
The trispecific antibodies showed better coverage than any
previously-studied antibody, neutralizing 99% of more than 200
diverse strains of HIV-1. One of the trispecific antibodies that
recognized the CD4 binding site, the membrane proximal external
region (MPER), and the V1V2 glycan site of HIV fully protected
monkeys against infection from a mixture of two simian/human
immunodeficiency viruses (SHIV). These viruses had shown resistance
to single-target antibodies.
The trispecific antibody builds on proprietary technology
developed by Sanofi, and was identified after dozens of different
bispecific and trispecific combinations were tested. Sanofi is now
manufacturing this trispecific antibody for use in a Phase I
clinical trial expected to begin in 2018 at the National Institute
of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National
Institutes of Health.
"Combination therapy has already demonstrated its value in
HIV and cancer therapy. Trispecific antibodies represent a
potential new class of therapeutics that can block multiple targets
with a single agent. This new approach supports a central pillar of
Sanofi's strategy to use multi-targeting to develop transformative
medicines for incurable diseases," said Dr. Nabel.
Today's published results come from the work of Sanofi, NIAID,
Harvard Medical School, The
Scripps Research Institute, and the
Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and
Harvard.
"At Sanofi, we understand that no single company can conquer
major public health threats on its own. By joining forces, the
public and private sectors can accelerate our efforts and
likelihood of success against infectious diseases and cancer,"
said Elias Zerhouni, M.D.,
President, Global R&D, Sanofi. "We are committed to working
collaboratively to develop innovative health
solutions."
The trispecific antibodies are currently in preclinical
development, and their safety and efficacy have not been fully
evaluated by any regulatory authority.
About Sanofi
Sanofi, a global healthcare leader,
discovers, develops and distributes therapeutic solutions focused
on patients' needs. Sanofi is organized into five global business
units: Diabetes and Cardiovascular, General Medicines and Emerging
Markets, Sanofi Genzyme, Sanofi Pasteur and Consumer Healthcare.
Sanofi is listed in Paris
(EURONEXT: SAN) and in New York
(NYSE: SNY).
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 absence of guarantee that the
product candidates if approved will be commercially successful, the
future approval and commercial success of therapeutic alternatives,
Sanofi's ability to benefit from external growth opportunities
and/or obtain regulatory clearances, risks associated with
intellectual property and any related future litigation and
the ultimate outcome of such litigation as well as those
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, 2016. Other than as required by
applicable law, Sanofi does not undertake any obligation to update
or revise any forward-looking information or statements.
Contacts:
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Media
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Investor
Relations
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Ashleigh
Koss
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George
Grofik
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Tel:
908-981-8745
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Tel: +33 (0) 1 53 77
94 69
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ashleigh.koss@sanofi.com
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ir@sanofi.com
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Global R&D
Communications
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Amy Ba
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Tel: +1 (617)
665-4151
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Mobile: +1 (617)
583-3690
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Amy.Ba@sanofi.com
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SOURCE Sanofi