Tarrytown-based Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: REGN) and Sonoma Biotherapeutics Inc. of South San Francisco, California, have announced a collaboration to apply their scientific and clinical expertise and respective technology platforms to the discovery, development and commercialization of novel regulatory T cell (Treg) therapies for autoimmune diseases.
According to the companies, the collaboration will combine Regeneron”™s VelociSuite technologies for the discovery and characterization of fully human antibodies and T cell receptors (TCRs) with Sonoma Biotherapeutics”™ approach to developing and manufacturing gene-modified Treg cell therapies. Regeneron and Sonoma will jointly research and develop Treg cell therapies for ulcerative colitis, Crohn”™s disease and two other undisclosed indications, with a Regeneron option for a fifth indication.
The companies will equally co-fund research and development for all potential products and share equally any future commercial expenses and profits. Sonoma Biotherapeutics will receive $75 million in upfront payments, which includes a $30 million equity investment by Regeneron.
“Regeneron”™s investigational pipeline includes a diverse range of cutting-edge scientific approaches, and we are pleased to expand this toolkit further through a partnership with Sonoma to explore the potential of engineered Treg cell therapies with enhanced functionality and the ability to target specific tissues,” said Dr. George D. Yancopoulos, co-founder, president and chief scientific officer of Regeneron. “Both Regeneron and Sonoma have strong foundations in basic scientific research, and by bringing together our complementary expertise, we hope to harness the power of Tregs to make further progress in the treatment of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.”
