A roundup of news from Sanofi, AstraZeneca, Sobi, Undbio, Eisai and CSL. Highlights below.  

* Sanofi, AstraZeneca, Sobi Simplify Contractual Agreements for RSV Drug Nirsevimab   
* South Korean Bio/Pharma Company Undbio To Build $100-M Insulin Mfg Facility in West Virginia 
* Eisai Completes Expansion of Research Facility in Ibaraki, Japan   
* CSL Opens Vaccine R&D Facility 

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Sanofi, AstraZeneca, Sobi Simplify Contractual Agreements for RSV Drug Nirsevimab  Sanofi, AstraZeneca, and Sobi, a Stockholm, Sweden-based bio/pharmaceutical company specializing in rare diseases, have simplified the contractual arrangements in the US relating to the development and commercialization of Beyfortus (nirsevimab), a drug for treating respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).  

Under the new agreement, Sobi will terminate its participation agreement with AstraZeneca, and Sanofi and AstraZeneca will update the collaboration agreement so that Sanofi has full commercial control of nirsevimab in the US. Sanofi has simultaneously entered into a direct royalty agreement with Sobi to share a portion of US net sales from nirsevimab. Under the agreement, AstraZeneca said it will record a gain of $700 million. 

The new and updated contractual agreements do not impact nirsevimab registration and launch in the US, where all parties will make Beyfortus available for infants for the 2023/24 RSV season. 

Source: Sanofi and AstraZeneca 

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South Korean Bio/Pharma Company Undbio To Build $100-M Insulin Mfg Facility in West Virginia 
Undbio, a South Korean bio/pharmaceutical company focused on diabetic care, has secured a lease with West Virginia University to build an insulin manufacturing facility in Morgantown, West Virginia.  
 
The company will create 200 jobs within the first three years and will invest $100 million in Phase One of the project. In Phase One, the company will work to secure approval of the facility from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). After securing FDA approval, the company says it plans to expand the facility. 

Source: West Virginia Office of The Governor 

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Eisai Completes Expansion of Research Facility in Ibaraki, Japan   
Eisai has completed a JPY 8.5 billion ($64 million) expansion of its Tsukuba Research Laboratories in Ibaraki, Japan.  Tsukuba Research Laboratories is positioned as a core facility in the company’s “Deep Human Biology Learning” drug discovery and development system. 

Source: Eisai 

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CSL Opens Vaccine R&D Facility 
CSL, a Melbourne, Australia-headquartered bio/pharmaceutical company, has opened a new research and development center in Waltham, Massachusetts. The custom-built facility is approximately 140,000 square feet with 54,000 square feet of lab space, including a Biosafety Level 3 laboratory (BSL-3). The site will serve as CSL’s central hub for current and future vaccine design. 

Source: CSL