Ligand Pharmaceuticals Inc. has entered into a global license and supply agreement with Sanofi to use Captisol in the development and commercialization of SAR-125844, a potent MET kinase inhibitor inPhase Idevelopment in advanced/refractory solid tumors.
 
Ligand will be eligible to receive potential milestone payments, royalties on sales and revenue from Captisol material sales. Sanofi will be responsible for all costs related to the program.
 
“This represents the progression and expansion of our relationship with Sanofi as they continue to make progress on SAR-125844, a novel, selective MET kinase inhibitor,” said John Higgins, president and chief executive officer of Ligand. “Captisol continues to bring significant value to our partners’ programs and shows great promise in enabling compounds in oncology, CNS, anti-infectives and many other therapy areas.”
 
Captisol is a chemically modified cyclodextrin with a structure designed to optimize the solubility and stability of drugs. This technology has enabled seven FDA-approved products, including Amgen’s Kyprolis, Baxter’s Nexteroneand Merck’s NOXAFIL IV.