Date: 2014-08-07
Type of information: Licensing agreement
Compound: GLAAS™ discovery platform
Company: Immune Design (USA - MA) Sanofi (France)
Therapeutic area: Allergic diseases - Immunological diseases
Type agreement:
Action mechanism: GLAAS platform works in vivo and is based on a small synthetic molecule called GLA (glucopyranosyl lipid adjuvant). GLA selectively binds to the TLR4 receptor and causes potent activation of dendritic cells leading to the production of cytokines and chemokines that drive a Th1-type immune response. When GLA is accompanied by an antigen and injected into a patient, the combination is taken up by dendritic cells and leads to the production and expansion of immune cells called CD4 T helper lymphocytes with a Th1 phenotype. These CD4 T cells play a key role in boosting pre-existing CTLs that are specific to the same antigen; and providing help to other immune cells, including B lymphocytes that are the precursor to antibodies, and natural killer cells that are also important in the overall immune response.
Disease: undisclosed food allergy
Details: * On August 7, 2014, Sanofi and Immune Design, a clinical-stage immunotherapy company, announced that they have entered into a licensing agreement for use of Immune Design\'s GLAAS™ discovery platform to develop therapeutic agents to treat a selected food allergy. Under terms of the agreement, Immune Design has granted Sanofi an exclusive license to discover, develop and commercialize products to treat a selected food allergy. Under an existing collaborative research arrangement, Sanofi and Immune Design have generated a large set of preclinical data demonstrating that certain formulations within GLAAS, when given prophylactically or therapeutically, can shift the immune responses in a way that may result in significant protection and reduction from allergy symptoms.
Financial terms: Immune Design has received an undisclosed upfront payment and will be eligible to receive development and commercialization milestones totaling US $168 million, as well as tiered royalties on sales of approved products.
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