J&J, retreating from infectious disease, partners with Sanofi on E. coli vaccine

03 Oct 2023
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Deals
www.biopharmadive.com
Phase 3Vaccine
Dive Brief:
Sanofi has agreed to work with Johnson & Johnson on what could be the first vaccine against a deadly strain of E. coli.
J&J developed the vaccine, now in Phase 3 testing, to fight extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli, a leading cause of sepsis. The bacteria causes about 10 million cases of invasive ExPEC disease each year and is particularly dangerous for older adults.
Per deal terms announced Tuesday, Sanofi will give J&J $175 million upfront and could make further payments based on reaching certain developmental and commercial milestones. The two companies will share research and development costs and profits in the U.S., France, Germany, Italy and Spain. For the rest of the world, J&J will receive tiered royalties and milestones.
Dive Insight:
J&J brought in Sanofi as it moves away from infectious disease work. In March, the company abandoned a high-profile attempt to develop a vaccine for respiratory syncytial virus. That followed January’s announcement of disappointing results for an HIV vaccine.
The New Jersey-based drugmaker has described the changes as a prioritization of research and development funds, with specific “program exits” in infectious disease and vaccines. Essentially, J&J is shutting down all work in the area outside of the E. coli vaccine and providing continuing access to HIV medicines already on the market, Fierce Pharma reported in August.
J&J’s Janssen unit began the Phase 3 trial of the E. coli vaccine in 2021 and is still enrolling patients. Researchers are testing the vaccine against a placebo in more than 18,500 patients, with an estimated primary completion date in May 2025.
Although most people think of foodborne illness when hearing about E. coli, the vaccine targets a strain that’s responsible for most urinary tract infections and can also cause meningitis, pneumonia and infections after surgery. The need for an inoculation has grown with rising antibiotic resistance, scientists say.
Sanofi, one of the largest vaccine makers in the world, is a natural partner for J&J. The Paris-based company sells billions of dollars’ worth of shots for conditions including the flu and childhood diseases. The company also has a wide array of vaccines in development.
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