Sanofi sees promise in CD73

Not long after Otsuka licensed Arcus’s CD73 inhibitor quemliclustat, Sanofi has struck a deal with I-Mab over its rival project ulelimumab. There are key differences: quemliclustat is a small molecule, while ulelimumab is a monoclonal antibody – and the jury is still out on which approach might be best, with discontinuations in both camps. While Otsuka’s focus is Japan, Sanofi is teaming up with I-Mab on Chinese development of ulelimumab; a pivotal study there is testing the MAb alongside Coherus/Shanghai Junshi’s anti-PD-1 Loqtorzi in PD-L1 and CD73-positive first-line NSCLC. Data are due next year. I-Mab has also carried out US trials, so one question is whether Sanofi sees potential outside China. CD73 is crowded, with 24 projects in clinical development, according to OncologyPipeline; 15 of these are MAbs, with AstraZeneca's oleclumab in the lead. I-Mab reckons ulelimumab could have improved efficacy over other MAbs, but will need to prove this. In a phase 1/2 US and China trial in first-line NSCLC ulelimumab plus Loqtorzi produced an ORR of 31%, although this rose to 63% in those deemed CD73-high and PD-L1 expressing. This is the third cancer deal Sanofi has struck recently, although all have been small.

Sanofi’s 2024 oncology deals

Source: OncologyPipeline & company releases.