Sanofi expands diabetes efforts

French drug giant Sanofi-Aventis Thursday said it will further expand its diabetes business with an exclusive worldwide licensing deal with CureDM Group Holdings LLC for the U.S.-based biotech’s experimental treatment Pancreate.

Under the arrangement, Sanofi will make a series of payments totaling up to $335 million for the license to develop, manufacture and commercialize the treatment, a human peptide scheduled for phase 1 studies later this year.

[Wall Street Journal]