Isarna Therapeutics Partners With Sanofi To Develop ASO Treatments
Isarna Therapeutics disclosed that it is venturing into a strategic manufacturing deal with Sanofi. According to the venture agreement, Sanofi will be responsible for manufacturing Antisense Oligonucleotide (ASO) compounds, for clinical and commercial applications for the German Isarna Therapeutics Company.
ASOs are currently used to treat a wide array of genetic disorders or infections. When a gene is studied, and it is determined that the genetic sequence of that gene is causative of an unwanted disease, antisense treatment is used to inactivate the gene. This is done by genetically engineering a nucleic acid based replacement to bond to that gene’s mRNA rendering it inactive.
Today ASOs are used to treat diseases like asthma, arthritis, and pouchitis with an inflammatory component. ASOs are also used to treat various cancers including pancreatic carcinoma, lung cancer, malignant melanoma and colorectal carcinoma. Although the written explanations of ASOs seem revolutionary, there have not been many clinical trials of ASO treatment producing significant results. The FDA has approved two ASO treatments; Vitravene, used to treat Cytomegolovirus retinitis, and Kynamro, used to treat homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia
Financial details regarding the business deal between both companies have yet to be disclosed.
The agreement states that the Industrial Affairs division of Sanofi will become Isarna Therapeutics’ manufacturing organization by contract. As a result, Sanofi will scale up and produce the required ASOs for Isarna Therapeutics as long as the contract remains in effect. Isarna Therapeutics will now be connected with Sanofi’s Commercial and External Partnerships organization, known as (CEPiA). This organization is the commercial annex of the company’s Industrial Affairs division which monitors ventures and activities. It works with the production of ASOs and carries much GMP manufacturing expertise, which it will share with Isarna Therapeutics.
Source: http://www.isarna-therapeutics.com/wp-content/uploads/20140109_EN_Isarna_Sanofi.pdf