Oncodesign, a French drug discovery company and oncology pharmacology service provider, has entered into a strategic research collaboration with global healthcare company Sanofi to apply Oncodesign's Nanocyclix technology to Sanofi kinase target programs.

Oncodesign will exclusively apply its Nanocyclix technology platform in multiple undisclosed Sanofi kinase programs for a number of therapeutic applications over a period of four years. Oncodesign is entitled to a technology access fee and discovery, development, regulatory and commercial milestone payments totaling up to $170 million and low single digit royalties on net sales.

The application of Nanocyclix to Sanofi's kinase lead programs aims to allow for a quicker selection of development candidates for multiple undisclosed kinase targets in kinase families that are notoriously difficult to address.

Nanocyclix is a proprietary medicinal chemistry technology and research platform based on macrocyclisation chemical methodology and knowledge that gives access to potent and selective kinase inhibitors based on shape complementarity in the ATP binding site of kinases. In this way, unprecedented selectivity is achieved even among kinases with high homology. In addition, the technology allows rapid improvement in the pharmacokinetic properties of the Nanocyclix leads based on established knowledge.

"This new agreement illustrates the leading position of Oncodesign in the kinase inhibitor field. Our Nanocyclix technology is now clearly established as a high value, differentiating approach that gives access to next generation kinase inhibitors in multiple therapeutic indications," said Jan Hoflack, Ph.D., CSO of Oncodesign.