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Paris, France – October 29, 2009
Sanofi-aventis and US biopharmaceutical company Micromet sign global collaboration and license agreement for new solid tumor BiTE antibody
Sanofi-aventis (EURONEXT: SAN and NYSE: SNY) and Micromet, Inc. (Nasdaq: MITI)
announced today a global collaboration and license agreement to develop a BiTE®
antibody against an antigen present at the surface of carcinoma cells. BiTE
antibodies are novel therapeutic antibodies that activate patients’ T cells
to seek out and destroy cancer cells.
Under this agreement, Micromet will be mainly responsible for the discovery,
research and development of the BiTE antibody through the completion of phase
1 clinical trials under the supervision of a Joint Steering Committee. Sanofi-aventis
will then have the full responsibility for the further development, as well
as for the worldwide commercialization of the BiTE antibody.
“Micromet’s BiTE antibodies represent a promising new approach to treating
cancer,” declared Marc Cluzel, Senior Vice-President R&D, sanofi-aventis.
“We believe BiTE antibodies have the potential to significantly expand the
treatment options that we can offer to cancer patients in the future.”
“We are very pleased to start a new BiTE antibody program with sanofi-aventis,”
said Christian Itin, Micromet’s Chief Executive Officer. “As we continue
to make progress in the clinical development of our BiTE antibodies for hematological
cancers and solid tumors, this collaboration with sanofi-aventis further validates
the BiTE antibody technology and creates the opportunity to expand the pipeline
of BiTE antibodies for the treatment of solid tumors.”
Under the terms of the agreement, sanofi-aventis agreed to pay Micromet an
upfront cash payment of 8 million euros following signature of the agreement.
Micromet is eligible for development and regulatory milestone payments of up
to 162 million euros, royalties on worldwide product sales and will receive
additional performance-based sales milestones of up to 150 million euros.
About BiTE Antibodies
BiTE® antibodies are designed to direct the body's cytotoxic, or cell-destroying,
T cells against tumor cells, and represent a new therapeutic approach to cancer
therapy. Typically, antibodies cannot engage T cells because T cells lack the
appropriate receptors for binding antibodies. BiTE antibodies have been shown
to bind T cells to tumor cells, ultimately inducing a self-destruction process
in the tumor cells referred to as apoptosis, or programmed cell death. In the
presence of BiTE antibodies, T cells have been demonstrated to serially eliminate
tumor cells, which explains the activity of BiTE antibodies at very low concentrations.
Through the killing process, T cells start to proliferate, which leads to an
increased number of T cells at the site of attack.
About Micromet, Inc.
Micromet, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company developing novel, proprietary
antibodies for the treatment of cancer, inflammation and autoimmune diseases.
Its product development pipeline includes novel antibodies generated with its
proprietary BiTE® antibody platform, as well as conventional monoclonal antibodies.
Two of Micromet’s BiTE antibodies and three of its conventional antibodies are
currently in clinical trials. Micromet's preclinical product pipeline includes
several novel BiTE antibodies generated with its proprietary BiTE antibody platform
technology. Micromet’s collaboration partners include Sanofi-Aventis, Bayer
Schering Pharma, Merck Serono, MedImmune and Nycomed.
About sanofi-aventis
Sanofi-aventis, a leading global pharmaceutical company, discovers, develops
and distributes therapeutic solutions to improve the lives of everyone. Sanofi-aventis
is listed in Paris (EURONEXT: SAN) and in New York (NYSE: SNY).
Forward Looking Statements for sanofi-aventis
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 product
development, product potential projections and estimates and their underlying
assumptions, statements regarding plans, objectives, intentions and expectations
with respect to future events, operations, products and services, and statements
regarding future performance. Forward-looking statements are generally identified
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and similar expressions. Although sanofi-aventis’ management believes that the
expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, investors
are cautioned that forward-looking information and statements are subject to
various risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict and
generally beyond the control of sanofiaventis, that could cause actual results
and developments to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied or
projected by, the forward-looking information and statements. These risks and
uncertainties include among other things, the uncertainties inherent in research
and development, future clinical data and analysis, including post marketing,
decisions by regulatory authorities, such as the FDA or the EMEA, regarding
whether and when to approve any drug, device or biological application that
may be filed for any such product candidates as well as their decisions regarding
labelling and other matters that could affect the availability or commercial
potential of such products candidates, the absence of guarantee that the products
candidates if approved will be commercially successful, the future approval
and commercial success of therapeutic alternatives as well as those discussed
or identified in the public filings with the SEC and the AMF made by sanofi-aventis,
including those listed under “Risk Factors” and “Cautionary Statement Regarding
Forward-Looking Statements” in sanofi-aventis’ annual report on Form 20-F for
the year ended December 31, 2008. Other than as required by applicable law,
sanofi-aventis does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking
information or statements.
