3M Drug Delivery Systems has announced the signing of a non-exclusive license agreement with sanofi pasteur, the vaccines division of sanofi-aventis Group. Under the agreement, 3M will provide its patented toll-like receptor (TLR) agonist compounds to sanofi pasteur for an undisclosed licensing fee, milestones and royalties for use as vaccine adjuvants. 3M’s patented TLR immune response modifier compounds may be able to boost the effectiveness of a vaccine when used in the form of a vaccine adjuvant. “Our TLR compounds offer unique benefits due to size and formulation, and we believe that when used as a vaccine adjuvant, our TLR compounds can add significant value to companies’ vaccines,” said Dr. Mark Tomai, PhD, Vaccine Business Development, 3M Drug Delivery Systems. 3M’s TLR compounds, also called TLR7 and TLR8 agonists, are small organically synthesized molecules that offer flexibility in formulating and route of delivery, as well as ease in manufacturing – unlike most other TLR agonists, which are much larger and not as easy to manufacture.
