Nurix Therapeutics announced today that Sanofi has exclusively licensed its drug discovery program targeting a novel, previously undruggable transcription factor implicated in autoimmune diseases. The deal marks a significant advancement in the field of targeted protein degradation and expands the ongoing collaboration between the two companies.
The undisclosed target is described as a central regulator of inflammation response and is distinct from the previously disclosed STAT6 degrader program. According to Nurix, this transcription factor plays a crucial role in regulating proinflammatory cytokines that drive autoimmune conditions.
Under the terms of the agreement, Nurix received a $15 million license extension fee, bringing the total amount received from Sanofi to $105 million since their collaboration began in 2019. The company remains eligible for up to $465 million in additional development, regulatory, and commercial milestones for this program, as well as potential future royalties.
Breakthrough in Targeting "Undruggable" Proteins
The breakthrough came through Nurix's proprietary DEL-AI drug discovery platform, which combines DNA-encoded libraries with artificial intelligence to identify novel therapeutic candidates.
"Using our DEL-AI platform, we successfully identified novel binders from which we derived a series of targeted protein degraders and stand-alone target binders for this previously undruggable target," said Gwenn M. Hansen, Ph.D., chief scientific officer of Nurix. "This high value target is a transcription factor involved in the regulation of proinflammatory cytokines serving as a central regulator of inflammation response in autoimmune diseases where targeted protein degradation could offer an innovative treatment option."
Transcription factors have historically been considered challenging targets for traditional small molecule drugs due to their lack of defined binding pockets. Protein degradation technology offers a new approach by tagging these proteins for destruction by the cell's natural waste disposal system rather than attempting to block their function directly.
Strategic Partnership Expansion
The licensing agreement builds upon a collaboration first established in December 2019, when Sanofi made an upfront payment of $55 million to Nurix. The partnership was expanded a year later with an additional $22 million payment to broaden the scope of their joint research.
Arthur T. Sands, M.D., Ph.D., president and chief executive officer of Nurix, highlighted the strategic importance of the partnership: "Sanofi's dedication to this program expands our mutual drug discovery pipeline in autoimmune disease and speaks to the productivity of our collaboration. In addition, the highly novel nature of this target further validates the power of Nurix's DEL-AI discovery platform to drive the discovery and development of truly innovative drugs."
Retained Co-Development Rights
A key aspect of the agreement is Nurix's retained option to co-develop and co-promote the resulting therapies in the United States after clinical proof of concept studies. For programs where Nurix exercises this option, the companies will split U.S. profits and losses evenly, with Nurix eligible to receive royalties on sales outside the U.S.
"Partnerships are an important part of Nurix's business model, adding non-dilutive capital and expanding our pipeline by retaining product opt-in rights in the United States," Sands explained. "To date, Nurix has received $460 million from partners, including $105 million in payments received from the Sanofi collaboration."
Addressing Unmet Needs in Autoimmune Disease
While specific autoimmune conditions targeted by this program were not disclosed, autoimmune diseases collectively affect millions worldwide and often lack treatments that address underlying disease mechanisms rather than just symptoms.
Current therapies for many autoimmune conditions frequently involve broad immunosuppression, which can leave patients vulnerable to infections and other complications. Targeted protein degradation approaches aim to provide more selective intervention in disease pathways.
The collaboration between Nurix and Sanofi represents part of a broader industry trend toward novel modalities like protein degradation to address previously intractable disease targets. By harnessing the cell's natural protein disposal system, these approaches may offer new treatment options for patients with limited therapeutic alternatives.
About Nurix Therapeutics
Nurix Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development, and commercialization of targeted protein degradation medicines. The company's pipeline includes degraders of Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) for cancer and inflammatory diseases, as well as inhibitors of Casitas B-lineage lymphoma proto-oncogene B (CBL-B), an E3 ligase that regulates activation of multiple immune cell types.
In addition to its Sanofi partnership, Nurix has established collaborations with Gilead Sciences and Pfizer, maintaining options for co-development and profit sharing in the United States for multiple drug candidates across these partnerships.
