Sanofi announced the successful completion of its acquisition of DR-0201, a targeted bispecific myeloid cell engager, from Dren Bio, a privately held, clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company. This strategic acquisition reinforces Sanofi’s position as a global immunology leader and significantly expands its innovative pipeline of immunology-focused therapies.
DR-0201, now designated SAR448501, has demonstrated strong potential in both pre-clinical and early clinical research. The therapy acts by selectively engaging tissue-resident and trafficking myeloid cells to achieve deep B-cell depletion through targeted phagocytosis-offering a novel approach to treating autoimmune conditions.
DR-0201 has shown robust B-cell depletion in pre-clinical and early clinical studies. The potential first-in-class targeted bispecific myeloid cell engager targets and engages specific tissue-resident and trafficking myeloid cells to induce deep B-cell depletion via targeted phagocytosis.
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Preliminary data from studies in autoimmune diseases such as lupus indicate that this mechanism may effectively reset the adaptive immune system, potentially leading to sustained, treatment-free remission in patients with refractory, B-cell mediated autoimmune disorders-an area where substantial unmet needs persist.
Sanofi completed the transaction through the acquisition of Dren 0201, Inc., an affiliate of Dren Bio, for an upfront payment of $600 million. The deal also includes potential milestone-based payments of up to $1.3 billion, tied to specific development and commercial achievements.
Recent pre-clinical and early clinical study data in autoimmune diseases suggest that deep B-cell depletion has the potential to reset the adaptive immune system, leading to sustained treatment-free remission in patients with refractory B-cell mediated autoimmune diseases such as lupus, where significant unmet medical needs remain.