Sanofi and BioNTech announce new cancer research alliance

Sanofi has announced a multi-year exclusive collaboration and license agreement with BioNTech in the field of immuno-oncology.

The research collaboration between Sanofi and BioNTech will utilise the scientific expertise of the two organisations to discover and develop up to five cancer immunotherapies, each consisting of a mixture of synthetic messenger RNAs.

Sanofi will leverage its global oncology footprint and scientific expertise, in tandem with BioNTech's proprietary mRNA technology platform and its extensive capabilities in developing immune-stimulating pharmaceuticals.

BioNTech will also make use of its mRNA formulation technology, which enables targeted mRNA delivery in vivo, to generate novel cancer immunotherapies.

Elias Zerhouni, president of global research and development at Sanofi, said: "Our collaboration with BioNTech has the potential to lay the foundation for a unique therapeutic modality in immuno-oncology."

Sanofi recorded a year-on-year sales increase of 3.4 percent during the third quarter of 2015 and is on track to meet its financial goals for the full year.