Sanofi-aventis agrees licensing deal for diabetes drug

Sanofi-aventis has agreed a deal with biopharmaceuticals firm Metabolex which sees it gain global licensing rights to a new type 2 diabetes drug.

The agreement gives Sanofi-aventis an exclusive worldwide licence to develop and commercialise MBX-2982, an oral GPR119 receptor agonists which can potentially offer patients improved control over their glucose levels and weight.

Metabolex will receive milestone payments from Sanofi-aventis depending on the achievement of developmental, regulatory and commercial milestones, with the total payment potentially reaching around $375 million (251.8 million pounds).

Pierre Chancel, senior vice-president for global diabetes at Sanofi-aventis, said that innovative oral treatments such as MBX-2982 could potentially represent the “cornerstone” of new therapy options for the increasingly prevalent disease.

He added: “This agreement is another important step for Sanofi-aventis towards our ambition to provide integrated solutions for diabetic patients.”

Earlier this week, the company announced that it will be working with Regulus Therapeutics on collaborative research into new treatments based on microRNA.