Sanofi has teamed up with California-based biotech Belharra Therapeutics to advance the discovery of novel small molecule therapeutics for immunological diseases.
Per the deal, Belharra is eligible to receive up to $40 million in upfront and near-term milestone payments, with the total potential value of the deal reaching nearly $700 million, including milestone payments as well as tiered royalties on net sales.
Belharra emerged from stealth mode in January 2023 with a $50 million Series A financing and a multi-year collaboration with Genentech. The biotech focuses on disrupting small molecule drug discovery using its chemoproteomics platform. Its pipeline includes small molecule drug candidates targeting oncology and immunology.
Chemoproteomics combines chemistry and proteomics to study interactions between small molecules and proteins within biological systems. It employs chemical probes and mass spectrometry to identify and characterize protein targets of bioactive molecules. This approach aids in drug discovery by revealing druggable targets and pathways that could be difficult to study using traditional methods.
Recently, Sanofi has been expanding its investments beyond traditional drug development methods by exploring alternative options like chemoproteomics and bispecific antibodies. In 2022, the French drugmaker inked bispecific antibody deals with Akeso and Innate Pharma for $5 billion and $1.4 billion respectively. By binding a cancer cell and an immune cell, bispecific antibodies facilitate a direct and potent immune response against the tumor.
