Biond teams up with Sanofi to develop cancer therapy for $125M up front

Biond Biologics Ltd. is collaborating with Sanofi to develop and commercialize its experimental antibody BND-22 to treat solid tumors.

Under a global licensing deal between the companies, Biond will receive an up-front fee of $125 million in cash and may receive more than $1 billion in milestone payments, as well as royalty payments.

Misgav, Israel-based Biond will lead a phase 1a study that will evaluate the safety and tolerability of BND-22 as a standalone treatment and in combination with approved cancer therapies. The privately held company plans to start the first-in-human study by mid-2021.

French drugmaker Sanofi will take charge of clinical development and commercialization of the antibody after the study.

Preclinical studies have shown that BND-22 has a broad anti-tumor effect, according to the companies' Jan. 12 news release.

Biond has submitted an investigational new drug application for BND-22 in the U.S.

The deal is part of a series of transactions relating to cancer immunotherapies and autoimmune disease treatments that Sanofi has engaged in, including the $1.1 billion acquisition of Kymab Ltd.