Vir expects to save approximately $100m from its “strategic restructuring”, which will be reinvested into the Sanofi-licensed programmes. Image Credit: izzuanroslan / Shutterstock.

Vir Biotechnology has signed a licensing agreement with Sanofi for three clinical-stage masked T-cell engagers (TCE) for cancer treatment.

The US-based company has also started strategic restructuring, which includes a workforce reduction of approximately 25% and the discontinuation of its influenza and Covid-19 programmes. Vir will also phase out its T cell-based viral vector platform.

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The company expects to save approximately $50m each from staff cuts and pipeline reprioritisation, which will be reinvested into the Sanofi-licensed programmes. Vir reported $1.43bn in cash reserves at the end of Q2.

The Sanofi-licensed TCE candidates include SAR446309, a dual inhibitor of HER2 and CD3; SAR446329, a dual-masked PSMA and CD3 TCE; and SAR446368, a dual-masked EGFR and CD3 TCE. The TCE candidates were developed using the protease-cleavable masking platform, which Sanofi acquired from Amunix Pharmaceuticals.

Both SAR446309 and SAR446329 are being evaluated in Phase I trials in patients with metastatic treatment-resistant HER2-positive tumours and metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer, respectively. Data from both trials is expected in H2 2025. The Phase I trial for SAR446368 in patients with EGFR-expressing tumours is expected to start enrolment by Q1 2025.

Although Vir did not disclose the financials of the licensing deal, it stated that Sanofi would receive an upfront payment, milestone-based payments, and royalties on net sales.

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Vir’s lead programme is chronic hepatitis delta combination treatment of tobevibart, an investigational monoclonal antibody; and elebsiran, an investigational small interfering ribonucleic acid therapy. The combination therapy is being developed in partnership with Alnylam Pharmaceuticals. The tobevibart and elebsiran combination treatment received fast track designation and investigational new drug clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration in June.

The same month, the companies reported positive preliminary data from a Phase II SOLSTICE trial (NCT05461170) showing that the combination treatment of tobevibart and elebsiran achieved high rates of virologic response at weeks 12 and 24. Additional data from the study is expected in Q4 this year.

Cell & Gene Therapy coverage on Pharmaceutical Technology is supported by Cytiva. 

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