Sanofi Buys DR-0201 Myeloid Cell Engager From Dren Bio

(RTTNews) - French pharmaceutical company Sanofi S.A. (SNYNF,SNY) said Tuesday that it completed the acquisition of DR-0201, a targeted bispecific myeloid cell engager. Sanofi acquired DR-0201 from a private clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company Dren Bio, Inc.

Sanofi said DR-0201, which has now been renamed SAR448501, is expected to add to the growth of the company's immunology division in the coming years.

According to the company, DR-0201 was acquired by purchasing Dren 0201, Inc., a Dren Bio affiliate, for an upfront payment of $600 million, with potential milestone payments to the tune of $1.3 billion. Dren Bio will keep on independently developing antibody therapeutics aimed at selectively depleting pathogenic cells, Sanofi added.

Sanofi stated that DR-0201 has shown strong B-cell depletion in both pre-clinical and early clinical studies. The company added that the latest data from research in autoimmune diseases show that the DR-0201 mechanism can help in restoring the adaptive immune system.

The company noted that DR-201 can provide long-lasting, treatment-free remission to patients with difficult-to-treat B-cell-mediated conditions like lupus, where there are too many unfulfilled medical requirements.