Regeneron Buys Cancer Drug from Sanofi

Recently, Regeneron agreed to purchase the immuno-oncology drug Libtayo (simipritimab) from its partner Sanofi in a transaction amounting to US$1.1 billion. The transaction is a continuation of the global immuno-oncology licensing and collaboration agreement signed by the two parties in 2015. Before the transaction, the two parties shared Libtayo's global sales profits and jointly commercialized Libtayo in the United States, while Sanofi was solely responsible for the commercialization of the rest of the world.

Under the agreement, Sanofi will transfer all rights to Libtayo (including the rights to develop, commercialize and manufacture it worldwide) to Regeneron, which will receive the exclusive worldwide license to Libtayo. Sanofi will receive an up-front payment of $900 million, followed by milestone payments of $200 million once the drug hits certain regulatory and sales targets. In addition, Sanofi will receive an 11% royalty fee on Libtayo's net profit from global sales.

Libtayo is a prescription drug used to treat cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC), locally advanced basal cell carcinoma (BCC), and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). According to Regeneron’s previously released financial results for the fourth quarter and full year of 2021, Libtayo has brought the company approximately $306 million in net product sales for the full year of 2021.