Cambridge, Massachusetts — Sail Biomedicines has entered into a strategic collaboration with Johnson & Johnson to develop in vivo CAR-T therapies for immune-mediated diseases in a deal that includes $785 million in initial payments and a potential $2.58 billion acquisition option.
The collaboration will combine Sail’s proprietary endless RNA, or eRNA, technology and targeted nanoparticle platform with Johnson & Johnson’s drug development, manufacturing and commercialization capabilities.
The companies plan to advance Sail’s lead in vivo CAR-T program for autoimmune diseases and develop additional therapies designed to produce durable disease remission by resetting the immune system.
Under the agreements, Johnson & Johnson will make total initial payments of $785 million, including a $465 million equity investment in Sail. Sail could also receive $140 million in additional payments tied to the achievement of certain development milestones.
Johnson & Johnson will receive an exclusive option to acquire Sail for an additional $2.58 billion. The payment would be made if Johnson & Johnson decides to exercise the option.
Sail, a Flagship Pioneering company, is developing a platform intended to generate CAR-T cells directly inside a patient’s body. Unlike conventional CAR-T treatments, which generally require immune cells to be removed, genetically modified and reinfused, in vivo approaches seek to reprogram the cells within the body.
Sail’s platform combines AI-supported product design, eRNA constructs, targeted nanoparticles and manufacturing processes. The company said the integrated system is designed to control which therapeutic instructions are delivered, which cells receive them and how long the instructions are expressed.
“We believe In Vivo CAR-T therapies have the potential to create a disruptive paradigm shift — from chronic treatments to potentially curative medicines for patients with immune-mediated diseases,” said John D. Mendlein, Ph.D., Executive Chairman of Sail Biomedicines and Executive Partner at Flagship Pioneering.
“Our new class of medicines offers an innovative therapeutic horizon for patients and providers — powerful, accessible and scalable products,” Mendlein added. “We are thrilled to work with Johnson & Johnson’s scientists and leadership on our shared vision of bringing curative impact to millions of people with immune-mediated diseases.”
The partnership is intended to create a portfolio of scalable in vivo CAR-T medicines for immune-mediated conditions, which are commonly treated with therapies that patients must take on an ongoing basis.
