Sanofi-aventis, CureDM sign global license agreement on novel human peptide, Pancreate

Sanofi-aventis, CureDM sign global license agreement on novel human peptide, Pancreate

Friday, April 09, 2010 09:00 IST
Paris, France

Sanofi-aventis and CureDM Group Holdings, LLC, announced a global license agreement on a novel human peptide, Pancreate, which could restore a patients’ ability to produce insulin and other pancreatic hormones in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes

Pancreate is a bioactive peptide sequence of a naturally occurring human protein that has been shown in preclinical studies to stimulate the growth of new insulin producing islets in the pancreas, resulting in restoration of normal metabolic function and glucose control in the blood. The commencement of phase I studies is planned for later this year.

Under the terms of this agreement, sanofi-aventis is granted an exclusive worldwide license to develop, manufacture and commercialize Pancreate and related compounds. CureDM will receive an upfront payment, as well as development, regulatory and commercial milestone payments. All such payments could reach a total of US$ 335 million. In addition, CureDM is eligible to receive tiered royalties on worldwide product sales.

“Sanofi-aventis is pleased to add to its Diabetes Division pipeline this highly innovative technology that has the potential to stimulate the formation of fully functional new pancreatic islets, thereby helping to restore patients’ pancreatic function,” explained Dr. Marc Cluzel, executive vice-president R&D, sanofi-aventis. “Once fully developed, Pancreate has the potential to become the first regenerative treatment of type 1 and type 2 diabetes and to address the challenges that the growing diabetes epidemic poses on patients and healthcare systems.”

This new collaboration is another example of the company’s strategic commitment to sustain its leadership in diabetes through new technologies. It further reinforces its ambition to become the leading diabetes company.

Pancreate (proisletide acetate) is a first-in-class human peptide (HIP-2B) sequence of a naturally occurring human protein that stimulates the formation of functional insulin producing neo-islets from pancreatic progenitor cells. In both type 1 and type 2 diabetes, a fundamental problem is too few insulin-producing islet structures to keep up with insulin demand. Islets are highly complex multicellular organelles that contain the insulin-producing beta cell and four other cells types, all of which play a role in maintaining glucose levels. In addition, islet structures provide the necessary metabolic control of insulin release that makes the pancreas able to keep a consistent glucose level in the blood. Therein, restoring whole islets is paramount correcting the erratic blood glucose fluctuations associated with diabetes, making Pancreate a fundamentally new approach to treat the disease.

CureDM is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of new therapies that prevent, ameliorate, or reverse diseases of metabolism. CureDM was co-founded by a molecular biologist and two clinical endocrinologists who experienced the unmet medical need in diabetes patients on a daily basis, which provided motivation for the discovery of Pancreate.