HQ Team
October 17, 2024: Sanofi and Orano Med agreed to form a new entity, valued at 1.9 billion euros ($2.06 billion), to develop radioligand medicines and the French company will invest 300 million euros for a 16% equity.
Orano Med is a subsidiary of Paris-headquartered Orano Group and develops targeted alphatherapies for rare cancers. The new entity will operate under the Orano Med brand and focus on the discovery, design, and clinical development of next-generation radioligand therapies, according to a Sanofi statement.
Radioligand therapy or alphatherapy is a targeted cancer treatment that delivers radiation to speicifc cancer cells while minimising the impact on healthy cells. It uses a lignad or a targeting compound that binds to a specific marker on cancer cells and radioisotopes which emits radiation to kill cancer cells.
The radioactive substance is injected into a vein, travels through the blood, and collects in certain tissues in the body, such as areas of bone with cancer, according to the National Cancer Institute.
No healthy tissue damage
This type of radiation may cause less damage to nearby healthy tissue. Alpha emitter radiation therapy is used to treat prostate cancer that has spread to the bone, and it is being studied in the treatment of other types of cancer.
The agreement follows Sanofi’s announcement of an exclusive licensing agreement with Orano Med and RadioMedix to advance radioligand therapies in rare cancers.
The targeted alpha therapy medicine approach aims at changing the standard of care in some rare cancers to extend patients’ lives and improve their quality of life, according to the statement.
“This collaboration is part of a broader effort to strengthen our ties within the scientific community, both in France and globally, to advance the development of cutting-edge treatments for patients,” said Paul Hudson, CEO of Sanofi.
Sanofi’s investment will further strengthen Orano Med and allow the company to accelerate the development of its pipeline, leveraging its unique capabilities in the discovery and development of Lead-212-based therapies.
The properties of rare metal Lead-212 are the subject of much research and are used in promising new treatments against cancer in targeted therapy.
