Regeneron and Zoetis Announce Collaboration to Research Antibody Therapies for Use in Animal Health

TARRYTOWN, N.Y. and PARSIPPANY, N.J., June 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:REGN) and Zoetis Inc. (NYSE:ZTS) today announced a five-year collaboration to research the use of Regeneron's monoclonal antibody therapeutics in animals and discover new veterinary treatments.

Under the terms of the agreement, Regeneron has granted Zoetis a license for its VelocImmune^® antibody technology, which Zoetis will use to develop monoclonal antibodies modified for species-specific use in companion and livestock animals. In particular, Zoetis is exploring treatments for animals with allergic and immune-related conditions, pain, inflammatory disease and cancer. VelocImmune is Regeneron's proprietary technology in which the immune system of mice is genetically humanized, enabling the creation of fully-human and optimized antibody drug candidates. Regeneron will receive a license fee, approval and sales milestone payments and royalties on any potential veterinary treatments.  

"Regeneron's VelociSuite^® drug discovery and development platforms have produced many important new medicines for people with serious medical conditions," said Drew Murphy, Ph.D., Senior Vice President of Research at Regeneron. "This collaboration extends these valuable tools to the development of monoclonal antibodies modified for species-specific use in animals, an area we would not be exploring otherwise, and provides us with more information to develop safe and efficacious medicines for humans. We look forward to pairing our antibody expertise with Zoetis' leadership in animal health."

Regeneron will also select antibodies from its pipeline for Zoetis to evaluate in dogs and cats that have certain naturally-occurring diseases, such as osteoarthritis. Data generated using this approach can help Regeneron predict whether a pipeline therapeutic will demonstrate efficacy and safety in later human trials, in addition to providing valuable information for potential new veterinary therapeutics. Zoetis has been building expertise in its own portfolio of monoclonal antibodies for veterinary use, including the first antibody approved in the U.S. and international markets to control the clinical signs of atopic dermatitis in dogs.

"Regeneron and Zoetis share a similar passion for translating scientific insights into groundbreaking medicines," said Dr. Catherine Knupp, Executive Vice President and President, Research and Development at Zoetis. "We see significant advantages from Zoetis and Regeneron scientists sharing knowledge and know-how across animal and human health. This collaboration will enhance our internally-developed pipeline of novel monoclonal antibodies and hasten the development of therapeutics that could transform the way veterinarians treat a range of diseases in animals." 

About Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Regeneron (NASDAQ: REGN) is a leading biotechnology company that invents life-transforming medicines for people with serious diseases. Founded and led by physician-scientists for 30 years, our unique ability to repeatedly and consistently translate science into medicine has led to six FDA-approved treatments and over a dozen product candidates, all of which were homegrown in our laboratories. Our medicines and pipeline are designed to help patients with eye disease, heart disease, allergic and inflammatory diseases, pain, cancer, infectious diseases and rare diseases.

Regeneron is accelerating and improving the traditional drug development process through its proprietaryVelociSuite^® technologies, including VelocImmune^® to yield optimized fully-human antibodies, and ambitious initiatives such as the Regeneron Genetics Center, one of the largest genetics sequencing efforts in the world.

For additional information about the company, please visit www.regeneron.com or follow @Regeneron on Twitter.

About Zoetis

Zoetis is the leading animal health company, dedicated to supporting its customers and their businesses. Building on more than 60 years of experience in animal health, Zoetis discovers, develops, manufactures and markets veterinary vaccines and medicines, complemented by diagnostic products, genetic tests, biodevices and a range of services. Zoetis serves veterinarians, livestock producers and people who raise and care for farm and companion animals with sales of its products in more than 100 countries. In 2017, the company generated annual revenue of $5.3 billion with approximately 9,000 employees. For more information, visit www.zoetis.com.

Regeneron Forward-Looking Statements and Use of Digital Media

This news release includes forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties relating to future events and the future performance of Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ("Regeneron" or the "Company"), and actual events or results may differ materially from these forward-looking statements. Words such as "anticipate," "expect," "intend," "plan," "believe," "seek," "estimate," variations of such words, and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. These statements concern, and these risks and uncertainties include, among others, the nature, timing, and possible success and therapeutic applications of Regeneron's products, product candidates, and research and clinical programs now underway or planned; the likelihood, timing, and scope of possible regulatory approval and commercial launch of Regeneron's late-stage product candidates and new indications for marketed products; the extent to which the results from the research and development programs conducted by Regeneron or its collaborators may be replicated in subsequent studies and lead to therapeutic applications; the potential for any license or collaboration agreement, including Regeneron's agreements with Sanofi, Bayer, and Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (or their respective affiliated companies, as applicable), as well as Regeneron's collaboration with Zoetis Inc. discussed in this news release, to be cancelled or terminated without any product success; unforeseen safety issues and possible liability resulting from the administration of products and product candidates in patients; serious complications or side effects in connection with the use of Regeneron's products and product candidates in clinical trials; coverage and reimbursement determinations by third-party payers, including Medicare, Medicaid, and pharmacy benefit management companies; ongoing regulatory obligations and oversight impacting Regeneron's marketed products, research and clinical programs, and business, including those relating to the enrollment, completion, and meeting of the relevant endpoints of post-approval studies; determinations by regulatory and administrative governmental authorities which may delay or restrict Regeneron's ability to continue to develop or commercialize Regeneron's products and product candidates; competing drugs and product candidates that may be superior to Regeneron's products and product candidates; uncertainty of market acceptance and commercial success of Regeneron's products and product candidates and the impact of studies (whether conducted by Regeneron or others and whether mandated or voluntary) on the commercial success of Regeneron's products and product candidates; the ability of Regeneron to manufacture and manage supply chains for multiple products and product candidates; unanticipated expenses; the costs of developing, producing, and selling products; the ability of Regeneron to meet any of its financial projections or guidance and changes to the assumptions underlying those projections or guidance; and risks associated with intellectual property of other parties and pending or future litigation relating thereto, including without limitation the patent litigation proceedings relating to Praluent^® (alirocumab) Injection, the ultimate outcome of any such litigation proceedings, and the impact any of the foregoing may have on Regeneron's business, prospects, operating results, and financial condition. A more complete description of these and other material risks can be found in Regeneron's filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017 and its Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended March 31, 2018. Any forward-looking statements are made based on management's current beliefs and judgment, and the reader is cautioned not to rely on any forward-looking statements made by Regeneron. Regeneron does not undertake any obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statement, including without limitation any financial projection or guidance, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

Regeneron uses its media and investor relations website and social media outlets to publish important information about the Company, including information that may be deemed material to investors. Financial and other information about Regeneron is routinely posted and is accessible on Regeneron's media and investor relations website (http://newsroom.regeneron.com) and its Twitter feed (http://twitter.com/regeneron).

Zoetis Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements, which reflect the current views of Zoetis with respect to business plans or prospects, expectations regarding products, the development of future products and other future events. These statements are not guarantees of future performance or actions. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties. If one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or if management's underlying assumptions prove to be incorrect, actual results may differ materially from those contemplated by a forward-looking statement. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made. Zoetis expressly disclaims any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. A further list and description of risks, uncertainties and other matters can be found in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017, including in the sections thereof captioned "Forward-Looking Statements and Factors That May Affect Future Results" and "Item 1A. Risk Factors," in our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and in our Current Reports on Form 8-K. These filings and subsequent filings are available online at  www.sec.gov, www.zoetis.com, or on request from Zoetis.

Zoetis Investor Contact
Steve Frank
Tel: +1 (973) 822-7141
[email protected]

Zoetis Media Contact
Elinore White                                                
Tel: +1 (973) 443-2835
[email protected]

Regeneron Investor Relations
Manisha Narasimhan, Ph.D.
Tel: +1 (914) 847-5126
[email protected]

Regeneron Media Relations
Alexandra Bowie
Tel: +1 (914) 847-3407
[email protected]

SOURCE Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.regeneron.com