Sanofi pays $3 million milestone to ImmunoGen on start of SAR3419 Ph II testing; FDA accepts Aubagio filing

US biotech firm ImmunoGen (Nasdaq: IMGN) says that SAR3419 has started Phase II testing, which triggers a $3 million milestone payment from French drug major Sanofi (Euronext: SAN) as part of a broader collaboration between the companies.

SAR3419 is a potential new treatment for CD19+ non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) and other B-cell malignancies. In Phase I testing, this TAP compound demonstrated activity across an array of NHL histological subtypes in patients with recurrent disease. It also demonstrated activity in patients with both rituximab (Rituximab-refractory and responsive disease. SAR3419 was found to be generally well tolerated with a notable lack of significant myelosuppression.

Sanofi’s Phase II testing will focus on evaluating SAR3419 as a treatment for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and for B-cell acute lymphoblastic lymphoma (B-ALL). Currently, there are limited treatment options for B-ALL and also for DLBCL that has failed to respond to front-line therapy or recurred after treatment. DLBCL is the most common type of NHL, accounting for approximately one-third of all cases, while B-ALL accounts for a similar percentage of acute leukemia cases.