Servier and Celsius Therapeutics Announce Target Discovery Collaboration in Colorectal Cancer

PARIS & CAMBRIDGE, Mass.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Servier, a global pharmaceutical Group, and Celsius Therapeutics, a company focused on bringing precision medicine to patients with cancer and autoimmunity, today announced a strategic collaboration focused on the identification and validation of novel colorectal cancer (CRC) drug targets.

“As colorectal cancer remains a leading contributor to cancer deaths worldwide, we see an urgent need to bring forward new therapeutic options for patients. Through this collaboration, we will leverage Celsius’ single-cell genomics platform, machine learning capabilities, and target validation expertise to refine our understanding of the different subtypes of CRC and discover new drug targets with the goal of developing novel precision therapies for specific patient subsets. Servier will discover and develop candidate drugs leveraging our end-to-end small molecule and large molecule capabilities,” said Hugues Dolgos, global head of oncology R&D at Servier.

Under the terms of collaboration, Celsius will analyze hundreds of samples from defined CRC patient populations using its proprietary single-cell genomics platform and will work to identify and validate new drug targets during the three-year research period. Servier will receive an exclusive option to research, develop, and commercialize products directed to up to three of the targets. Celsius would receive an upfront payment and research funding, and would be eligible to receive over $700 million in potential discovery, development, and commercialization milestone payments, along with tiered royalties.

“Celsius’ mission is to understand how different cell populations and cellular programs drive disease, and to translate those insights into precision therapies for patients with difficult-to-treat diseases,” said Tariq Kassum, M.D., chief executive officer of Celsius. “Servier is a complementary partner with a like-minded commitment to cancer patients in need of new therapeutic options. This collaboration, along with our growing network of academic and industry partnerships, validates Celsius as a partner of choice for target discovery in oncology and autoimmune diseases.”

About Servier

Servier is an international pharmaceutical company governed by a non-profit foundation, with its headquarters in France (Suresnes). With a strong international presence in 150 countries and a total revenue of 4. (Read more…)6 billion euros in 2019, Servier employs 22,000 people worldwide. Entirely independent, the Group invests on average 25% of its total revenue (excluding generics) every year in research and development and uses all its profits for its development. Corporate growth is driven by Servier’s constant commitment in five areas of excellence: cardiovascular, immune-inflammatory, and neurodegenerative diseases, cancer and diabetes, as well as by its activities in high-quality generic drugs. Servier also offers eHealth solutions beyond drug development.

More information: www.servier.com

Servier Group’s partnering efforts in the US are bolstered by Servier BioInnovation (SBI), located in Kendall Square, MA. SBI’s mission includes identifying innovative early-stage R&D opportunities, establishing partnerships and expediting BD&L activities in the local innovation ecosystem.

About Celsius Therapeutics

Celsius Therapeutics is charting a new course of target and drug discovery by applying a systematic approach to single-cell sequencing of patient tissue, combining massive datasets, complex algorithms, and machine learning to discover first-in-class precision therapies with a transformative impact on the lives of patients with autoimmune diseases and cancer. Celsius was launched in 2018 and is based in Cambridge, Mass. For more information, please visit www.celsiustx.com.

Contacts

Servier
Sonia Marques: [email protected] – Tel. +33 (0)1 55 72 40 21 / + 33 (0)7 84 28 76 13

Jean-Clément Vergeau: [email protected] – Tel. +33 (0)1 55 72 46 16 / + 33 (0)6 79 56 75 96

Celsius Therapeutics
Katie Engleman: 1AB

[email protected]