Sanofi Inks $1.9B Pharma Acquisition Deal with Kadmon Holdings
Under the pharma acquisition deal, Sanofi will continue to grow its General Medicines core assets and add Kadmon’s chronic graft-versus-host disease treatment, Rezurock, to its portfolio.
Sanofi recently entered into a $1.9 billion pharma acquisition deal with Kadmon Holdings to strengthen the growth of its transplant business.
Under the terms of the agreement, Sanofi will continue to grow its General Medicines core assets and immediately add Kadmon’s chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) treatment, Rezurock, to its transplant portfolio.
In July, FDA approved Rezurock to treat adult and pediatric patients 12 years of age and older with cGVHD after the failure of at least two prior lines of systemic therapy.
This treatment is the first and only approved small molecule inhibitor of ROCK2, a signaling pathway that modulates inflammatory responses and fibrotic processes.
“We are transforming and simplifying our General Medicines business and have shifted our focus on differentiated core assets in key markets,” Olivier Charmeil, executive vice president of general medicines at Sanofi, said in the announcement.
“We are thrilled to add Kadmon’s Rezurock to our transplant portfolio. Our existing scale, expertise, and relationships in transplant create an ideal platform to achieve the full potential of Rezurock, which will address the significant unmet medical needs of patients with chronic graft-versus-host disease around the world,” Charmeil continued.
Sanofi’s transplant business currently mainly consists of Thymoglobulin, a polyclonal, anti-human thymocyte antibody preparation that acts as a broad immunosuppressive and immunomodulating agent in Mozobil, a hematopoietic stem cell mobilizer.
These products are among core assets of General Medicines and registered and marketed in over 65 countries, a Sanofi spokesperson highlighted.
Sanofi stated that it will work closely with regulatory authorities across different geographies to ensure that patients suffering from cGVHD can benefit from Rezurock treatment as early as possible.
Additionally, Kadmon is developing Rezurock to treat diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis, with an open-label Phase 2 clinical trial currently ongoing.
“By leveraging Sanofi’s global resources and long-standing expertise in developing and commercializing innovative medicines, Rezurock is now well positioned for global accessibility, faster,” said Harlan Waksal, MD, president and chief executive officer at Kadmon.
Sanofi’s acquisition of Kadmon comes nearly a month after the company acquired Translate Bio for $3.2 billion to accelerate the development of mRNA vaccines and therapeutics.
