As of the present time, there is no known cure to Multiple sclerosis which has baffled experts ever since its emergence. However, that could possibly change in no time as two of the well-known pharmaceutical giants, Sanofi and ImmuNext have recently announced that they have finally come up to an agreement to develop an antibody with the potential to treat a series of autoimmune diseases, including multiple sclerosis (MS) and lupus. The two companies revealingly said that they are currently planning to launch a research collaboration that will allegedly support clinical testing of the drug that will hopefully shed light to the mysterious disease that continues to affect millions of people globally.
Two Pharmaceutical Giants Will Work Together To Treat Multiple Sclerosis
According to reports revealed by BioPharma Dive, the said agreement would be able to grant Sanofi with exclusive worldwide manufacturing and marketing rights to ImmuNext's preclinical drug INX-021, a monoclonal antibody that is known to calm a cellular pathway for a protein called CD40L or CD154. Experts believe that the protein has the ability to regulate the immune response and contribute to autoimmune diseases and chronic inflammation if by any chance that it becomes hyperactive. In return, it was found that the deal incorporates that Immunext could get up to $500 million in potential milestone payments, plus up to double-digit tiered royalties on product sales.
Meanwhile, in one of his statements reported by Multiple Sclerosis News Today, Randolph Noelle, PhD, co-founder and chief scientific officer of ImmuNext, said that the immune-regulatory molecule, CD40L, will allegedly play an important role in terms of the progression of a wide spectrum of autoimmune diseases. He adds that antibodies that blocks the function of CD40L have already been proven in pre-clinical models of autoimmunity to be one of the most effective agents in treating disease. Furthermore, authorities from the said agreement have also revealed that when it comes to the efficacy of the anti-CD40L for the treatment of autoimmune diseases, they believe that it has the ability to offer a unique opportunity to put the disease into silent progression and provide a long-term remission.
