Catalent and Sanofi collaborate on SMARTag ADC technology
Will involve teams at Sanofi and former Redwood Bioscience facility in Emeryville, US
Catalent Pharma Solutions is to support Sanofi in the development of next-generation Antibody-Drug Conjugates (ADCs).
In an agreement with Sanofi-Aventis Recherche & Développement, Catalent will use its SMARTag technology to develop modified antibody conjugates using Sanofi’s proprietary antibodies. Catalent says its precision protein-chemical engineering approach will enable Sanofi to enhance ADC pharmacokinetics, efficacy and safety.
The collaboration will involve teams at Sanofi, and Catalent’s facility, in Emeryville, CA, US, formerly headquarters to Redwood Bioscience. Catalent bought the remaining stake in Redwood last October following the achievement of in vivo and in vitro proof of concept milestones, compelling in vivo toxicology data, and customer interest in the SMARTag technology.
Barry Littlejohns, Catalent’s President of Advanced Delivery Technologies, said in vivo toxicology studies have demonstrated that ADCs generated using the company's SMARTag platform have a better toxicity profile than a conventional ADC, while efficacy studies also point to an improved therapeutic index.
'We look forward to partnering with Sanofi to support the development of their next-generation of ADC products,' he said.
The proprietary SMARTag site-specific protein modification and cytotoxin-linker technologies developed by Redwood enable the generation of homogenous bioconjugates engineered to enhance potency, safety and stability. The technology employs natural post translational modifications found in human cells to create one or more aldehyde tags at designated sites on protein molecules. These chemical handles are then conjugated to cytotoxic payloads to prevent their systemic release. The control afforded by the SMARTag technology enables identification of superior drugs from libraries of differentially designed conjugates.
