Sanofi and Earendil Labs announced a strategic collaboration effort which applies Earendil’s discovery platform to several Sanofi autoimmune and inflammatory disease programs.¹

Earendil Labs’ two AI-powered research and development platforms for protein therapeutics includes both the Foundational Protein AI Platform and the High-Throughput Biology Platform respectively. The company says that it uses the platforms to generate high-quality sequences, predict antibody properties, and validate discoveries through experiments. The platforms also reportedly has the ability to self-improve.²

"Partnering with Sanofi allows us to apply Earendil's discovery platform to a broader set of autoimmune disease targets than ever before. By combining advanced predictive protein modeling with high-throughput experimental validation, we can identify and optimize bispecific antibody candidates more efficiently and precisely. This collaboration underscores our commitment to advancing next-generation therapeutics that have the potential to set new standards of care," said Jian Peng, PhD, CEO of Earendil Labs.

Autoimmune disease, a condition in which the body’s immune system mistakes its own healthy tissues as foreign and attacks them, can cause inflammation affecting many parts of the body.⁴ The particular parts of the body affected can depend on which autoimmune disease a patient is dealing with. Common signs and symptoms of autoimmune disease include fatigue, fever, muscle aches, joint pain and swelling, skin problems, abdominal pain, digestion problems, and swollen glands.⁴

This collaboration marks the second time that Sanofi and Earendil partnered on autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Back in April 2025, Sanofi and Earendil entered a $1.7 billion exclusive license agreement for two potential first-in-class bispecific antibodies, HXN-1002 and HXN-1003.³

Zhenping Zhu, MD, PhD, president & co-CEO of Earendil Labs, discussed the importance of Earendil and Sanofi’s first license agreement and its focus on autoimmune disease treatments, saying, “Autoimmune diseases, which affect multi-millions of patients, are characterized by chronic disease process and high relapse rates. These diseases often require life-long treatment, severely impacting patients' quality of life and significantly increasing societal burden.”

What are the details of the collaboration?

Per the terms of the collaboration agreement, Sanofi is expected to lead both the development and the worldwide commercialization of bispecific candidates that arise from the collaboration effort.

The total potential value of the collaboration agreement is valued at upwards of $2.5 billion, including upfront, development, and commercial milestones.¹ As part of the collaboration agreement, Earendil is set to receive up to $160 million in upfront and near-term payments that are tied to early program acheivements.¹

Zhenping Zhu, touched on the potential abilities the collaboration will enable in researching and discovering autoimmune treatments, saying, "Autoimmune diseases impose a heavy burden on patients and healthcare systems alike, with many conditions requiring lifelong management and often yielding incomplete responses to existing therapies. By leveraging Sanofi's deep expertise in clinical development and global commercialization, we aim to accelerate the translation of our platform-enabled bispecific antibody candidates into potentially transformative medicines, bringing new treatment options to patients in need."

Sources

1. Earendil Labs Announces Strategic Collaboration with Sanofi to Discover Bispecific Antibodies for Autoimmune Diseases. Earendil Labs. January 5, 2026. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/earendil-labs-announces-strategic-collaboration-with-sanofi-to-discover-bispecific-antibodies-for-autoimmune-diseases-302652305.html
2. Earendil Labs Technology AI-Powered R&D for Protein Therapeutics. Earendil Labs. Accessed January 5, 2026 https://www.earendil.bio/technology
3. Earendil Labs Announces Worldwide Exclusive License Agreement with Sanofi for Next-Generation Bispecific Antibodies for Autoimmune and Inflammatory Bowel Diseases. Earendil Labs. April 17, 2025. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/earendil-labs-announces-worldwide-exclusive-license-agreement-with-sanofi-for-next-generation-bispecific-antibodies-for-autoimmune-and-inflammatory-bowel-diseases-302431020.html
4. Definition of Autoimmune Disease. National Cancer Institute. Accessed January 5, 2026. https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/autoimmune-disease