SANOFI-AVENTIS GETS EXPANDED ACCESS TO IMMUNOGEN'S TAP TECHNOLOGY

ImmunoGen Dec. 26 announced that sanofi-aventis has entered into an option agreement that enables it to gain expanded access to the company's Tumor-Activated Prodrug (TAP) technology. Sanofi-aventis currently has rights to use the technology with antibodies to the targets that are included in the existing research collaboration between the companies. Exercise of the option announced Dec. 26 would enable sanofi-aventis to be able to use the technology with antibodies to targets not included in this research collaboration.

"In the past six months, sanofi-aventis has exercised its second and final option to extend the duration of our research collaboration, advanced another compound from this collaboration into the clinic, licensed broader access to our humanization technology and now taken an option for expanded access to our TAP technology," commented Mitchel Sayare, Chairman and CEO. "We believe that these actions reflect the significance of our technology, the strength of our intellectual property, and the robustness of our research capabilities."

In 2003, ImmunoGen and Aventis Pharmaceuticals (a predecessor to sanofi-aventis) established a collaboration to discover, develop and commercialize novel antibody-based anticancer products. As part of that agreement, sanofi-aventis gained exclusive rights to use ImmunoGen's TAP technology with antibodies to targets included in the collaboration. The duration of the research collaboration has been extended by sanofi-aventis to the maximum length permissible under the 2003 agreement, and now ends on August 31, 2008.

The option agreement provides sanofi-aventis with the right to enter into a multi-target agreement with ImmunoGen prior to or on August 31, 2008, by payment of an agreed-upon option exercise fee. The multi-target agreement would allow sanofi-aventis to evaluate ImmunoGen's maytansinoid TAP technology with antibodies to targets not included in the research collaboration between the companies -- with certain restrictions -- and to license the right to use the technology to develop products for such targets on agreed-upon terms. ImmunoGen earned $500,000 with the signing of this option agreement.