Sanofi Signs $326M Radiopharma Deal With Orano

Sanofi has announced a significant partnership with Orano Med, a company specializing in radiopharma, by investing around $326 million to secure a 16% ownership stake. This collaboration aims to propel the development of advanced radiotherapies for treating rare cancers by utilizing Orano’s alpha therapy expertise.

Together, Sanofi and Orano Med will focus on the discovery, design, and development of radioligand treatments, particularly those based on lead-212 alpha-emitting isotopes. However, the specific cancer types that will be targeted by this partnership have not yet been disclosed. Sanofi's CEO, Paul Hudson, expressed that this collaboration leverages the combined strengths of their biopharma and nuclear technology sectors to make significant strides in the fight against cancer.

This partnership is aligned with Sanofi's broader strategy to revamp and prioritize its pipeline assets, concentrating on challenging-to-treat cancers. Their focus includes hematologic cancers and solid tumors that have significant unmet needs. High-priority areas for Sanofi include multiple myeloma, acute myeloid leukemia, and various gastrointestinal and lung cancers.

Orano’s targeted alpha therapy platform merges two significant advancements in cancer treatment: the specificity of biologic treatments and the potent, localized cell-killing capabilities of radioisotopes. According to Orano’s website, candidates generated from this platform consist of an alpha-emitting lead-212 atom, a biological vector, and a linker that connects them. This combination allows the therapies to precisely destroy cancer cells while minimizing damage to adjacent healthy tissues. Sanofi believes Orano’s alpha treatments have the potential to transform the standard of care for certain rare cancers, thereby extending patient survival and improving quality of life.

The recent deal is Sanofi's second venture into the radioligand space in as many months. In September, Sanofi entered into a $110 million licensing agreement with Orano Med and Texas-based biotech RadioMedix. This tripartite agreement focuses on AlphaMedix, a lead-212 targeted radioligand therapy under development for treating gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs).

The field of targeted radiotherapies remains a highly attractive area for major pharmaceutical companies. Novartis currently leads in radiopharma with its FDA-approved prostate cancer treatment, Pluvicto, and the GEP-NETs therapy, Lutathera. In a bid to bolster its expertise further, Novartis committed $2.7 billion in August 2024 to a peptide discovery partnership with Japan's PeptiDream. This collaboration aims to use PeptiDream's platform technology to discover new macrocyclic peptides, which can be integrated into radioligand therapies.

Bristol Myers Squibb and Eli Lilly are also making substantial investments in this domain. In December 2023, Bristol Myers Squibb acquired radiopharma specialist RayzeBio for $4.1 billion. Meanwhile, in October 2023, Eli Lilly purchased Point Biopharma for $1.4 billion, underscoring the industry's keen interest and belief in the future potential of radiopharma.

This growing trend reflects the broader pharmaceutical industry's confidence in the promise of radiotherapies to deliver targeted and effective treatments for various cancers, particularly those that are currently difficult to treat. The collaboration between Sanofi and Orano Med represents a strategic move to leverage new technologies and expertise in the ongoing battle against cancer.