Sanofi has entered into a licensing agreement with Formation Bio, an AI-driven drug developer, to acquire rights to gusacitinib, a dual JAK/SYK inhibitor, for up to €545 million (~$630 million) in upfront and milestone payments, plus low-to-mid-teen royalties on future sales123.
Gusacitinib is an oral small-molecule drug already in Phase 3 development by Formation Bio for chronic hand eczema. Sanofi will explore its potential in a new, previously unstudied indication through a Phase 1 study123.
Formation Bio, formerly TrialSpark, acquired gusacitinib from Asana BioSciences in late 2022 and established its subsidiary Libertas Bio to manage its development1235.
This deal is part of Sanofi’s broader strategy to invest in AI-driven drug discovery and development. Sanofi previously committed over $1.8 billion in an AI-focused partnership with Earendil Labs for immunology biologics13.
The partnership leverages both companies' expertise, with Formation’s CEO describing their strategy as acquiring high-potential assets and partnering at key inflection points to accelerate development23.
Sources:
1. https://www.biospace.com/drug-development/in-latest-ai-play-sanofi-bets-630m-for-formation-bios-jak-syk-blocker
2. https://www.fiercebiotech.com/biotech/sanofi-signs-545m-eur-deal-explore-formations-jaksyk-inhibitor-new-indication
3. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/libertas-bio-a-formation-bio-subsidiary-license-of-gusacitinib-a-dual-jaksyk-inhibitor-to-sanofi-302487403.html
5. https://www.fiercebiotech.com/biotech/ai-focused-formation-secures-sanofi-backed-372m-series-d-license-more-drugs