Sanofi SA (ADR) (NYSE:SNY) is placing a major bet on rare immune disorders with its $9.1bn acquisition of US biotech firm Blueprint Medicines, part of a wider push to become a global leader in immunology.
The deal gives Sanofi access to Blueprint’s lead drug Ayvakit, the only approved treatment for systemic mastocytosis, a rare and often debilitating disease caused by the uncontrolled growth and activation of mast cells, a type of immune cell.
The acquisition also adds a pipeline of promising therapies that target what are known as KIT-driven diseases.
These conditions are linked to mutations in the KIT gene, which produces a protein crucial for cell growth and survival.
When KIT is faulty, it can trigger diseases such as mastocytosis and certain cancers by causing cells to multiply abnormally or avoid dying when they should.
Sanofi said the move complements its existing immunology portfolio, strengthens ties with allergy and immunology specialists, and builds on recent biotech deals focused on early-stage assets.