Press Release: Riliprubart earns orphan drug designation in the US for antibody-mediated rejection in solid organ transplantation
Riliprubart earns orphan drug designation in the US for antibody-mediated rejection in solid organ transplantation
- Ongoing phase 2 study evaluating riliprubart for the potential prevention and treatment of active antibody-mediated rejection in kidney transplant recipients
- Riliprubart was also designated orphan drug for the investigational use in chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy in the US and EU
Paris, June 25, 2025. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted orphan drug designation to riliprubart for the investigational treatment of antibody-mediated rejection (AMR) in solid organ transplantation. This designation reflects Sanofi’s commitment to addressing a critical unmet need in transplant medicine, where AMR remains a significant challenge with no FDA-approved treatments available. The FDA grants orphan drug designation to investigational therapies addressing rare medical diseases or conditions that affect fewer than 200,000 people in the US.
Alyssa Johnsen
Global Therapeutic Area Development Head, Immunology and Inflammation, Sanofi
"Orphan drug designation for riliprubart marks an important milestone in our mission to address critical challenges in transplant medicine leveraging our expertise in immunology. Antibody mediated rejection represents a serious threat to transplanted organs and patient survival. Through riliprubart's innovative mechanism of action, we hope to bring forward a treatment option that could significantly improve outcomes for kidney transplant recipients."
Riliprubart is currently being explored in multiple clinical studies across different indications in transplant and neurology. A phase 2 clinical study is currently ongoing, exploring its potential in kidney transplant recipients (NCT05156710). The study includes two patient cohorts: those at risk of developing rejection and those with active forms of antibody-mediated rejection. In addition, Sanofi is conducting two phase 3 studies exploring riliprubart in chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIPD), a rare neurological disorder, specifically in patients refractory to standard of care (MOBILIZE, clinical study identifier: NCT06290128), and in IVIg-treated patients (VITALIZE, clinical study identifier: NCT06290141). The broad clinical development program for riliprubart emphasizes Sanofi's commitment to exploring riliprubart’s potential across multiple immune-mediated conditions with high unmet medical needs.
About Riliprubart
SAR445088 (riliprubart) is a potential first-in-class, IgG4 humanized monoclonal antibody that selectively inhibits activated C1s in the classical complement pathway of the innate immune system. Riliprubart is currently under clinical investigation, and its safety and efficacy have not been evaluated by any regulatory authority. For more information on riliprubart clinical studies, please visit www.clinicaltrials.gov.
About AMR
Antibody-mediated rejection is a serious complication that may arise after solid organ transplantation, occurring when the recipient’s immune system produces antibodies that attack the transplanted organ. Sensitized recipients, who have pre-existing antibodies that target foreign antigens including those found on transplanted organs, face a high risk of developing antibody-mediated rejection. Subsequent immune response can lead to inflammation, organ damage, and organ failure if left untreated.
About Sanofi
Sanofi is an R&D driven, AI-powered biopharma company committed to improving people’s lives and delivering compelling growth. We apply our deep understanding of the immune system to invent medicines and vaccines that treat and protect millions of people around the world, with an innovative pipeline that could benefit millions more. Our team is guided by one purpose: we chase the miracles of science to improve people’s lives; this inspires us to drive progress and deliver positive impact for our people and the communities we serve, by addressing the most urgent healthcare, environmental, and societal challenges of our time.
Sanofi is listed on EURONEXT: SAN and NASDAQ: SNY
Media Relations
Sandrine Guendoul | +33 6 25 09 14 25 | sandrine.guendoul@sanofi.com
Evan Berland | +1 215 432 0234 | evan.berland@sanofi.com
Léo Le Bourhis | +33 6 75 06 43 81 | leo.lebourhis@sanofi.com
Victor Rouault | +33 6 70 93 71 40 | victor.rouault@sanofi.com
Timothy Gilbert | +1 516 521 2929 | timothy.gilbert@sanofi.com
Léa Ubaldi | +33 6 30 19 66 46 | lea.ubaldi@sanofi.com
Investor Relations
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Nathalie Pham | +33 7 85 93 30 17 | nathalie.pham@sanofi.com
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Yun Li | +33 6 84 00 90 72 | yun.li3@sanofi.com
Sanofi forward-looking statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts. These statements include projections and estimates and their underlying assumptions, statements regarding plans, objectives, intentions, and expectations with respect to future financial results, events, operations, services, product development and potential, and statements regarding future performance. Forward-looking statements are generally identified by the words “expects”, “anticipates”, “believes”, “intends”, “estimates”, “plans” and similar expressions. Although Sanofi’s management believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, investors are cautioned that forward-looking information and statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict and generally beyond the control of Sanofi, that could cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied or projected by, the forward-looking information and statements. These risks and uncertainties include among other things, the uncertainties inherent in research and development, future clinical data and analysis, including post marketing, decisions by regulatory authorities, such as the FDA or the EMA, regarding whether and when to approve any drug, device or biological application that may be filed for any such product candidates as well as their decisions regarding labelling and other matters that could affect the availability or commercial potential of such product candidates, the fact that product candidates if approved may not be commercially successful, the future approval and commercial success of therapeutic alternatives, Sanofi’s ability to benefit from external growth opportunities, to complete related transactions and/or obtain regulatory clearances, risks associated with intellectual property and any related pending or future litigation and the ultimate outcome of such litigation, trends in exchange rates and prevailing interest rates, volatile economic and market conditions, cost containment initiatives and subsequent changes thereto, and the impact that global crises may have on us, our customers, suppliers, vendors, and other business partners, and the financial condition of any one of them, as well as on our employees and on the global economy as a whole. The risks and uncertainties also include the uncertainties discussed or identified in the public filings with the SEC and the AMF made by Sanofi, including those listed under “Risk Factors” and “Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” in Sanofi’s annual report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2024. Other than as required by applicable law, Sanofi does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information or statements.
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