Sanofi Inks $1.845B Deal with Earendil Labs for Two AI-Discovered Bispecific Antibodies Targeting Autoimmune Diseases

On April 17, in Middletown, Delaware, Earendil Labs (the overseas company of Helixon), a global leader in AI-driven next-generation biologics therapeutics discovery, and Sanofi announced that they have entered into a licensing agreement for two potential first-in-class bispecific antibodies in the fields of autoimmune diseases and inflammatory bowel disease. Under the agreement, Sanofi will obtain global exclusive rights to two bispecific antibodies, HXN-1002 and HXN-1003, both of which leverage Earendil Labs' proprietary artificial intelligence and high-throughput discovery and research platform.

Earendil Labs to Receive $125 Million Upfront Payment. Earendil Labs Is Eligible for up to $1.72 Billion in Development and Commercial Milestone Payments, Including a Near-Term Payment of $50 Million. Earendil Labs Is Also Eligible for Tiered Royalties on Product Sales Ranging from High Single Digits to Low Double Digits.

HXN-1002 is a bispecific antibody targeting α4β7 and TL1A. By simultaneously inhibiting two clinically validated targets, HXN-1002 has significant potential to enhance clinical efficacy, especially for refractory patients. It aims to provide a treatment option for patients with moderate to severe ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD).

HXN-1003Is a targeted TL1A and IL-23The bispecific antibody, which targets the two core drivers of inflammation in various human autoimmune diseases. By simultaneously blocking both pathways, the bispecific antibody has demonstrated synergy in preclinical models of colitis and skin inflammation, showing great potential in addressing unmet needs for patients who are refractory to existing therapies.

Dr. Jian Peng, CEO of Earendil Labs, said:"We are thrilled to partner with Sanofi, a global leader in immunology, to advance the development of two bispecific antibodies, HXN-1002 and HXN-1003, for autoimmune and inflammatory bowel disease. Our platform leverages state-of-the-art predictive protein modeling and high-throughput biology, revolutionizing the discovery and development of bispecific antibodies. This collaboration highlights Earendil Labs' ability to generate potential first-in-class candidates aimed at transforming patient care."

President and Co-CEO of Earendil LabsOfficial Zhu ZhenpingBoThe scholar stated:"Autoimmune diseases that affect millions of patients are characterized by chronic disease progression and high recurrence rates. These conditions often require lifelong treatment, significantly impacting patients' quality of life and substantially increasing the societal burden. Despite the approval of multiple drugs for clinical use, their efficacy is often limited, highlighting unmet medical needs. We firmly believe that Sanofi's extensive expertise in the field of autoimmune diseases will greatly accelerate the development of HXN-1002 and HXN-1003, ultimately bringing these potentially life-changing treatments to patients worldwide as soon as possible."

Earendil Labs is a U.S.-based biotechnology company that is redefining biopharmaceutical innovation with its cutting-edge artificial intelligence platform. By integrating advanced machine learning, generative protein engineering, and high-throughput experimental technologies, Earendil Labs and its affiliate Helixon Therapeutics (Helixon) streamline the drug discovery and research process, aiming to significantly accelerate drug development. Earendil Labs' proprietary integrated framework enables precise optimization of the functionality, manufacturability, and developability of protein-based biologics, with best-in-class or first-in-class potential.

Based onAntibody–AntigenDeep Learning Models for Interaction:Training deep learning models to predict the binding between antibodies and antigens, with the continuous growth of structural and functional data, our models become more accurate and detailed.

Antibody LibraryDesignAndSynthesis:Given an antigen, we effectively search the antibody sequence space to identify molecules targeting epitopes of significant therapeutic importance, and then synthesize libraries of up to millions of antibodies for testing.

High-throughputAntibody Characterization Technology:Accurately measure the functions and biophysical properties of individual antibodies in the library in a high-throughput manner.

IterationOptimizationAntibody Properties:By repeating the previous steps, learning from the successes and failures of early experiments, training more accurate models, designing a new round of candidate libraries, and further engineering antibodies to possess the desired properties.

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