Kymera Inks $150M Deal with Sanofi for Immune-Inflammatory Diseases

Kymera Therapeutics has entered into a strategic collaboration with Sanofi to develop and commercialize first-in-class protein degrader therapies targeting IRAK4 in patients with immune-inflammatory diseases. The companies will also partner on a second earlier stage program. Kymera will receive $150 million in cash upfront and may receive more than $2 billion in potential development, regulatory and sales milestones, as well as significant royalty payments. Kymera retains the option to participate in US development and commercialization for both programs. This includes the ability to participate equally in the costs, profits and losses after opt-in, and to co-promote partnered products in the US.

“This is an important collaboration for both companies and for the field of targeted protein degradation,” said Nello Mainolfi, Ph.D., co-founder, President and CEO of Kymera Therapeutics. “Kymera is becoming a fully integrated biotechnology company advancing a pipeline of novel therapies with the potential to transform treatment paradigms. We are excited to partner with Sanofi, an organization with world-class drug development and commercialization capabilities, to ensure maximal patient impact from two of our programs across multiple disease indications, while enabling Kymera to invest in key strategic areas to realize the broad potential of protein degrader therapies.”

Under terms of the collaboration, Sanofi will make an upfront payment of $150 million in cash to Kymera for global rights to develop its small molecule IRAK4 protein degraders in inflammation and immunology indications, and a second earlier stage undisclosed program. IRAK4 is believed to play a key role in multiple immune-inflammatory diseases, including hidradenitis suppurativa, atopic dermatitis and rheumatoid arthritis. Kymera will advance the IRAK4 program through Phase 1 clinical trials; Sanofi will assume clinical development and commercialization responsibilities thereafter. Sanofi will lead all clinical development activities for the second program. Kymera will have the option to participate in the development of both programs in the US during clinical development. Kymera will retain global rights to its IRAK4 program in oncology indications. (Source: Kymera Therapeutics Website, 09 July, 2020)