Pfizer and Sanofi Ink Major Autoimmune Deals as 2025 Draws to a Close

In a flurry of year-end activity, pharmaceutical giants Pfizer and Sanofi have separately announced significant collaborations in the autoimmune disease space, potentially worth billions in future payouts. These strategic moves underscore the industry's continued focus on leveraging cutting-edge technologies to address complex autoimmune disorders.

Adaptive Biotechnologies Secures Dual Partnerships with Pfizer

Seattle-based Adaptive Biotechnologies has entered into two non-exclusive agreements with Pfizer, utilizing its proprietary T-cell receptor (TCR) discovery engine and immune receptor antigen-mapping data. The collaborations, which could yield up to $890 million in milestone payments, aim to advance research in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and enhance Pfizer's AI and machine learning capabilities.

Under the first agreement, Pfizer will harness Adaptive's immune medicine platform to identify disease-causing TCRs as potential therapeutic agents for RA. Adaptive will apply its technology to Pfizer's clinical samples, pinpointing TCRs significantly enriched in RA patients. Pfizer will then spearhead the development and commercialization of any resulting therapies.

The second partnership involves a licensing deal for Adaptive's TCR-antigen data, which Pfizer will use to bolster its AI and machine learning tools for research and drug discovery across multiple disease areas. While specific financial terms were not disclosed, Adaptive is set to receive an upfront payment and potential future annual licensing fees.

Chad Robins, Adaptive's co-founder and CEO, highlighted the significance of the company's "AI-enabled immune medicine platform" and its potential to inform discoveries that may lead to next-generation RA therapeutics.

Dren Bio Expands Collaboration with Sanofi on B-cell Depletion Therapy

In a separate development, San Carlos-based Dren Bio has expanded its strategic collaboration with Sanofi, focusing on the discovery and development of a next-generation B-cell depleting therapy for various autoimmune diseases. The deal, which builds upon a partnership announced earlier this year, brings Dren an upfront payment of $100 million and the potential for up to $1.7 billion in future milestone payments.

The expanded collaboration will leverage Dren's proprietary targeted myeloid engager and phagocytosis platform for drug discovery and preclinical development. Once a promising candidate is identified, Sanofi will take the reins on development, manufacturing, regulatory affairs, and commercialization.

Notably, Dren retains the option to enter a profit-and-loss-sharing arrangement with Sanofi in the United States. This would involve Dren co-funding 40% of ongoing global development costs in exchange for co-promotion rights and a 50/50 profit split in the U.S. market, while remaining eligible for milestones and tiered royalties on sales outside the U.S.

This latest agreement follows an earlier $600 million upfront deal between Sanofi and Dren, which focused on the bispecific antibody candidate DR-0201 for B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Sanofi's Head of R&D, Houman Ashrafian, Ph.D., previously emphasized the potential of deep B-cell depletion in treating autoimmune diseases, particularly for patients refractory to existing treatments.

As the pharmaceutical industry continues to evolve, these strategic partnerships highlight the ongoing pursuit of innovative approaches to tackle autoimmune disorders, with a particular emphasis on leveraging advanced technologies and targeted therapies.