Sanofi Strengthens STAT6 Pipeline with Nurix

Highlights

• Sanofi pays $15M upfront to license NX-3911, a STAT6 degrader from Nurix.
• Nurix could receive up to $465M in milestones, plus royalties.
• NX-3911 has shown preclinical efficacy in asthma and atopic dermatitis models.
• This is Sanofi’s second STAT6 degrader licensed from Nurix in 90 days.
• Nurix retains U.S. co-development and co-promotion rights.
• STAT6 remains a key target for Sanofi; it also has a $125M pact with Recludix Pharma.
• Nurix’s DEL-AI platform continues to deliver novel protein degradation candidates.
• Nurix’s cash reserves exceed $600 million, supporting an advancing clinical pipeline.

Second Degrader Licensed in Strategic Collaboration

Sanofi has expanded its ongoing collaboration with Nurix Therapeutics, securing rights to a second STAT6 protein degrader as part of their partnership focused on novel protein degradation therapies. The French pharmaceutical giant will pay $15 million upfront for the new compound, NX-3911, which aims to treat inflammation associated with allergic conditions.

According to Nurix, “NX-3911 is a potent, selective, orally administered degrader of STAT6 that shows robust efficacy in multiple preclinical models of atopic dermatitis and asthma, demonstrating anti-inflammatory efficacy in animal models equivalent to a STAT6 gene knockout,” as stated by Gwenn Hansen, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer at Nurix.

Significant Milestone Potential and Co-Development Rights

In addition to the upfront payment, Nurix may earn up to $465 million in future development, regulatory, and commercial milestones, along with potential royalties. The biotech company will also retain an option to co-develop and co-promote NX-3911 in the United States.

Nurix’s internal platform utilizes E3 ligases to drive targeted protein degradation. This approach enables the company to pursue previously “undruggable” targets—those lacking suitable binding sites for traditional small molecules.

Strategic Use of DEL-AI Discovery Platform

The new candidate was discovered through Nurix’s DEL-AI (DNA-Encoded Library with Artificial Intelligence) platform. “Using our DEL-AI platform, we identified novel DEL-derived chemical matter from which we developed, together with Sanofi, a potential best-in-class STAT6 degrader, NX-3911, which achieves rapid and complete STAT6 degradation,” Hansen noted.

Arthur Sands, M.D., Ph.D., CEO of Nurix, highlighted the momentum of the partnership, saying, “This is the second license extension of a Nurix autoimmune disease program by Sanofi in the last 90 days, highlighting the power of our proprietary DEL-AI drug discovery platform to fuel the discovery of novel medicines to a range of therapeutically important targets like STAT6.” He also mentioned that additional discovery-stage assets in the STAT6 program could offer more product opportunities under the Sanofi collaboration.

Sanofi’s Broader Strategy Targeting STAT6

Sanofi’s interest in STAT6 extends beyond Nurix. In 2023, the company committed $125 million upfront to Recludix Pharma in a deal focusing on a preclinical STAT6 inhibitor. STAT6 is a transcription factor that regulates the downstream IL-4 and IL-13 pathways, central to type 2 inflammatory diseases such as asthma, atopic dermatitis, and allergies.

Sanofi initially invested $55 million to begin its partnership with Nurix in 2019 and added another $22 million in 2020 to expand the deal. Just two months prior to this latest agreement, the pharma company had already paid $15 million for another STAT6 degrader. In total, Nurix has earned $127 million from the collaboration to date.

Nurix’s Expanding Pipeline and Financial Health

The biotech’s growing financial reserves—more than $600 million as of November 2024—are fueling the advancement of its pipeline. Among its lead candidates is NX-5948, a BTK degrader targeting chronic lymphocytic leukemia, expected to enter clinical trials this year.