* Collaborative efforts aim to accelerate drug discovery and improve clinical success
* Agreement to use Exscientia’s AI-based capabilities and personalized medicine platform from target identification to patient selection
* Research will be focused on up to 15 new small molecule candidates across oncology and immunology
* Exscientia will receive a cash advance of $ 100 million with a potential of $ 5.2 billion in total milestones plus incremental royalties
PARIS & OXFORD, England & BOSTON, January 7, 2022– (BUSINESS WIRE) – Sanofi and Exscientia today announced a groundbreaking research collaboration and licensing agreement to develop up to 15 new small molecule candidates across oncology and immunology, by leveraging Exscientia’s end-to-end AI-powered platform by to use actual patient samples. The companies have been working together since 2016, and in 2019, Sanofi licensed Exscientia’s new bispecific small molecule candidate, which is capable of targeting two different targets in inflammation and immunology.
“We look forward to deepening our work with Exscientia, a leader in leveraging AI to modernize all aspects of drug discovery and development,” said Frank Nestle, Global Head of Research and Chief Scientific Officer, Sanofi. “Sanofi’s collaboration with Exscientia aims to transform how we detect and develop new small molecule drugs for cancer and immune-mediated diseases. The use of sophisticated AI and machine learning methods will not only shorten drug discovery times, but will also help design higher quality and better targeted medicines for patients. “
Exscientia and Sanofi will collaborate to identify and select target projects by utilizing Exscientia’s personalized medicine platform. The platform enables a “patient-first” approach by integrating primary human tissue samples into early target and drug research. By doing so, Exscientia researchers can integrate patient, disease, and clinically relevant data into decisions about potential new drug candidates earlier in the drug manufacturing process. In addition to goal discovery, Exscientia will lead drug design of small molecules and lead optimization activities leading to the nomination of development candidates, where Sanofi assumes responsibility for preclinical and clinical development, manufacturing and commercialization.
“It is extremely exciting to partner with Sanofi with our goal of realizing the full potential of AI to deliver the next generation of cancer and immunological drugs.” said Andrew Hopkins, DPhil, CEO and founder of Exscientia. “Our AI-powered platform can be leveraged across drug discovery, translational research and development, with applications ranging from improving precision medicine and the quality of drug candidates to enriching to patient selection in clinical trials. Our expanded collaboration with Sanofi will leverage the breadth of our platform. “to test AI-designed drug candidates against patient tissue models, potentially providing far better accuracy than conventional approaches such as mouse models. When you think about the change this represents – testing candidates against actual human tissue years before a clinical trial – it’s transformative.”
Under the terms of the agreement, Exscientia will receive a cash advance of $ 100 million from Sanofi and will be eligible to receive future research, translational, clinical development, regulatory and commercial milestone payments of up to approximately $ 5.2 billion in aggregate if all milestones. for all programs are achieved. In the event that Sanofi commercializes a drug from the collaboration, Exscientia will also be eligible to receive incremental product sales royalties ranging from high single-digit to mid-teens and an option for clinical co-investment to increase the royalty rate up to 21% on net sales of co-financed products. The $ 100 million cash prepayment is expected to be reflected in Exscientia’s financial results for the first quarter of 2022 as cash flows from partnerships and recognized as revenue over the term of the agreement.
About Exscientia
Exscientia is an AI-powered pharmaceutical company committed to discovering, designing and developing the best possible medicines in the fastest and most efficient way. Exscientia developed the first functional precision oncology platform ever to successfully guide treatment choices and improve patient outcomes in a prospective interventional clinical trial, as well as to develop AI-designed small molecules for the clinical setting. Our pipeline demonstrates our ability to quickly translate scientific concepts into precision-designed therapeutic candidates, with more than 25 projects on the way, including the first three AI-designed drug candidates to enter Phase 1 clinical trials.
Exscientia has offices in Oxford, Vienna, Dundee, Boston, Miami and Osaka. For more information visit us at https://www.exscientia.ai or follow us on Twitter @exscienceAI.
About Sanofi
Sanofi is dedicated to supporting people through their health challenges. We are a global biopharmaceutical company focusing on human health. We prevent disease with vaccines, offer innovative treatments to combat pain and relieve suffering. We stand by the few who suffer from rare diseases and the millions with long-term chronic conditions.
With more than 100,000 people in 100 countries, Sanofi is transforming scientific innovation into healthcare solutions across the globe.
Exscientia forward-looking statements
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements regarding the importance of the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding Exscientia’s expectations regarding the ability of its AI-supported personalized medicine platform to design and develop new small molecule candidates across oncology and immunology. Words such as “anticipate”, “believe”, “expect”, “intend”, “projects”, “predict” and “future” or similar terms are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to the uncertainty associated with predicting future outcomes and conditions, and no assurance can be given that the AI-supported personalized medicine platform discussed above will be successful in developing new small-molecule candidates. in oncology and immunology or achieve any milestone in its agreement with Sanofi. Exscientia assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by law.
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 about plans, goals, intentions and expectations regarding future financial results, events, operations, services, product development and potential, and statements about future results. Forward-looking statements are generally identified with the words “expect,” “expect,” “believe,” “intend,” “consider,” “plan,” and similar terms. Although Sanofi’s management believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, investors are warned that forward-looking information and statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict and generally beyond Sanofi’s control. development to deviate significantly from those expressed in, or implied or projected by, the forward-looking information and statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, uncertainties inherent in research and development, future clinical data and analyzes, including postmarketing, regulatory decisions, such as the FDA or EMA, on whether and when a drug, device should be approved, or biological application , which may be filed for such product candidates as well as their decisions regarding labeling and other factors that may affect the availability or commercial potential of such product candidates, the fact that product candidates, if approved, may not be commercially successful, future approval and commercial success of therapeutic alternatives, Sanofi’s ability to take advantage of external growth opportunities, to complete related transactions and / or obtain regulatory approvals, risks associated with intellectual property and any related pending or future litigation and the final outcome of such litigation; exchange rate and interest rate trends, volatile economic and market conditions, cost reduction initiatives and subsequent changes, and the impact that COVID-19 will have on us, our customers, suppliers, suppliers and other business partners, and the economic situation for any of them, as well as on our employees and on the global economy as a whole. Any significant effect of COVID-19 on the above may also have a negative impact on us. This situation is changing rapidly and additional impacts may occur which we are not currently aware of and which may exacerbate other previously identified risks. Risks and uncertainties also include the uncertainties discussed or identified in public applications to the SEC and AMF made by Sanofi, including those listed under “Risk Factors” and “Warning Statement on Forward-Looking Statements” in Sanofi’s annual Form 20 report – F for the year ended 31 December 2020. In addition to what is required by applicable law, Sanofi assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information or statements.
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Contact persons
Sanofi Media Relations Contacts
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Sanofi Investor Relations Contacts Paris
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Exscientia Media Relations Contact
Amanda Galgay
agalgay@exscientia.ai
Exscientia Investor Relations Contact
Sara Sherman
investors@exscientia.ai
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