Sanofi, Intelliject sign licensing agreement for auto injector

BRIDGEWATER, N.J. The U.S. subsidiary of French drug maker Sanofi-Aventis will work with a Richmond, Va.-based company on an auto injector for severe allergic reactions.

Sanofi announced Monday that it had signed an agreement with Intelliject to develop and market an auto injector for the emergency treatment of anaphylactic responses, which occur up to 2,000 times per 100,000 people in the United States alone each year and can be fatal within minutes.

Under the agreement, Sanofi will be responsible for manufacturing and commercialization in North America, while Intelliject will be responsible for development and regulatory filings while retaining certain rights to co-promote the auto injector in the United States. Sanofi will make an unspecified payment upfront to Intelliject and be eligible for milestone payments and royalties.