Sanofi has entered an agreement to acquire Origimm Biotechnology, a biotechnology company which specialises in the discovery of virulent skin microbiome components and antigens from bacteria causing skin disease, such as acne. The transaction will add Origrimm's therapeutic vaccine candidate for acne vulgaris based on recombinant proteins, ORI-001, to the biopharma company’s early-stage pipeline.
The candidate entered preliminary clinical studies in Q3 2021. In parallel, Sanofi is working to develop additional antigen versions and plans to leverage its mRNA platform in Phase I/II trials beginning 2023.
“The acquisition of Origimm further broadens our vaccines R&D pipeline with a first vaccine candidate against acne, a high medical need for millions of teenagers and adults,” said Thomas Triomphe, Executive VP, Global Head of Sanofi Pasteur. “Welcoming Origimm within Sanofi expands our area of expertise by bringing extensive know-how in the field of skin microbiome and skin immunology. We look forward to unlocking the full potential of this candidate”.
Acne affects millions globally, causing substantial psychological burden for teenagers but also adults - over 10% of the population experience acne after age 501. The Cutibacterium acnes bacterium plays a central role in the development of moderate to severe acne. There is no treatment against acne that combines high efficacy and acceptable safety, Sanofi says.
“We are looking forward to combining our expertise and strengths to continue developing innovative solutions for prevention and treatment of the skin microbiome-associated diseases, such as common acne” said Sanya Selak, founder and CEO/CSO of Origimm. “Together with such a strong partner like Sanofi, we will strive to creating a paradigm shift in treatment of skin diseases and many other microbiome-associated disorders and infections, for which current medical solutions are inadequate.”
The acquisition is expected to close early December 2021.
