Sanofi Secures Deals for Novel Alzheimer’s Drug and Next-Generation Autoimmune Therapy
The global pharmaceutical firm signs a licensing agreement potentially valued over $1 billion for a promising Alzheimer's drug and expands a partnership for a new B-cell depletion therapy.
On December 15, 2025, Sanofi announced two significant strategic collaborations aimed at strengthening its advanced therapeutic development pipelines.
1. Agreement with ADEL for Potential Alzheimer’s Drug (ADEL-Y01)
Sanofi entered into an exclusive worldwide license agreement with ADEL for the rights to develop and commercialize ADEL-Y01, an antibody therapy positioned as a potential first-in-class treatment for Alzheimer’s disease, alongside related backup compounds.
-
Mechanism: ADEL-Y01 is a humanized monoclonal antibody that selectively targets Tau protein acetylated at Lysine-280 (acK280). This mechanism inhibits the aggregation of toxic Tau species—a central driver of Alzheimer’s pathology—while preserving the function of normal Tau protein.
-
Development Stage: The candidate is currently undergoing a global, first-in-human Phase I clinical trial, operating under an FDA-approved Investigational New Drug (IND) application.
-
Financial Terms: The total potential value of the agreement is estimated to be over $1.04 billion. ADEL will receive an $80 million non-refundable upfront payment, along with eligibility for additional payments contingent on achieving specified development and commercial milestones, and tiered royalties on net sales (ranging up to double-digit percentages).
The CEO of ADEL expressed hope that combining their scientific expertise with Sanofi’s capabilities will accelerate the delivery of this disease-modifying therapy to patients globally.
2. Expanded Collaboration with Dren Bio for Autoimmune Therapy
Sanofi also announced an expanded strategic alliance with Dren Bio for the discovery and development of a next-generation B-cell depleting therapy aimed at treating various autoimmune diseases. This new agreement builds upon their existing relationship, following Sanofi’s acquisition of Dren Bio’s deep B-cell depletion program (DR-0201) earlier in the year.
-
Financial Terms: Dren Bio will receive an upfront payment of $100 million and is eligible for up to $1.7 billionin development, regulatory, and commercial milestone payments.
-
Responsibilities: Following the selection of a development candidate, Sanofi will assume development, manufacturing, regulatory, and commercialization responsibilities.
-
Dren Bio Option: Dren Bio retains an option to enter into a US profit/loss sharing arrangement, co-funding 40% of global developmental costs in exchange for US co-promotion rights and a 50% share of US profits and losses.
This expanded collaboration underscores Sanofi’s commitment to developing best-in-class therapies with the potential to achieve remission in patients with immune-mediated diseases.
