Sanofi Invests $27 Million in Ventyx Biosciences

Sanofi and Ventyx Biosciences have entered into a strategic partnership involving a significant investment from Sanofi. Sanofi, a prominent player in the field of immunological and inflammatory diseases, will invest $27 million in Ventyx Biosciences. This investment will be made through the purchase of 70,601 shares of Ventyx’s Series A non-voting convertible preferred stock at a price of $3.8243 per share. Each of these shares can be converted into 100 shares of common stock. The transaction is slated to close on September 23, 2024.

Raju Mohan, the Chief Executive Officer of Ventyx Biosciences, expressed his satisfaction with the investment, emphasizing Sanofi’s leadership in the field and the potential of VTX3232, a CNS-penetrant NLRP3 inhibitor. Mohan highlighted that this collaboration could pave the way for new treatments for neuroinflammatory conditions that currently have significant unmet medical needs. He also mentioned the ongoing clinical trials for VTX3232, including a Phase 2a trial for early Parkinson’s disease and a Phase 2 trial targeting obesity and related cardiometabolic risk factors, with results expected in 2025.

As part of this investment, Sanofi has secured an exclusive right of first negotiation for certain rights related to the VTX3232 program. The financial boost from Sanofi’s investment is expected to strengthen Ventyx’s cash reserves, ensuring that the company can sustain its operations until at least the latter half of 2026.

VTX3232 is an oral medication designed to inhibit NLRP3, a protein complex involved in inflammatory responses. It has shown promise in treating various neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, cardiometabolic diseases, and multiple sclerosis. Earlier this year, Ventyx reported positive results from a Phase 1 trial of VTX3232 in healthy volunteers, demonstrating that the drug achieved steady-state exposures that exceeded the interleukin-1β (IL-1β) IC90 in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid for 24 hours with once-daily doses.

Ventyx Biosciences is dedicated to developing innovative oral treatments for autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. The company’s pipeline includes advanced clinical programs targeting NLRP3, S1P1R, and TYK2, which position Ventyx as a potential leader in the development of oral immunology therapies for both peripheral and neuroinflammatory diseases. Based in San Diego, California, Ventyx aims to address significant unmet medical needs by shifting the treatment paradigm from injectable to oral medications.

This strategic collaboration with Sanofi underscores the potential of VTX3232 to offer new treatment approaches for neuroinflammatory diseases, potentially transforming the landscape of therapeutic options available to patients. The anticipated data from ongoing clinical trials in 2025 will be crucial in determining the future of VTX3232 and its role in treating these diseases.