Sanofi teams with Innovent to develop cancer meds in China

Sanofi has inked a $307.88 million collaboration with China's Innovent Biologics to bring new meds to patients in China with difficult-to-treat cancers.

The partners will focus on accelerating the development and commercialization of two Sanofi key clinical stage oncology assets. Phase 3 SAR408701 (tusamitamab ravtansine) is designed to treat lung, gastric and other cancers, while the phase 2 SAR444245 (non-alpha IL-2) is being studied for skin cancer, head and neck tumors.

The all-cash investment in Jiangsu, China-based Innovent was made by Sanofi's Foreign Participations unit.

"This pioneering partnership will leverage the synergy between Sanofi and Innovent’s pipeline and R&D resources with the mutual aim to address major unmet medical needs for cancer patients. We hope this agreement will be a great start of the two parties’ long-term partnership, and we look forward to bringing more innovative therapies to patients," said Dr. Michael Yu, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Innovent,