Kling Bio has announced a new collaboration and licence option agreement with Sanofi to accelerate the discovery of neutralising antibodies using its proprietary B cell platform, Kling-Select.

The partnership will focus on identifying monoclonal antibodies with potent neutralising activity against a clinically relevant human viral pathogen.

The findings may support the development of next-generation antiviral therapies and inform future vaccine design.

Kling-Select is a clinically and commercially validated B cell immortalisation and screening platform. It uses patient-derived B cells to rapidly identify novel antibodies and conserved viral epitopes, enhancing vaccine and therapeutic design.

The platform’s function-first screening workflow enables the discovery of rare, immuno-functional antibodies. It has already yielded validated candidates against RSV, COVID-19 and influenza, demonstrating its broad utility and scientific impact.
Michael Koslowski, MD, Chief Executive Officer of Kling Bio, said: “This collaboration with Sanofi highlights the broad potential of our Kling-Select platform to address global health challenges by enabling the discovery of first-in-class, human-derived antibodies.”

He added: “Kling-Select provides a powerful window into the human immune response and accelerates the identification of functional antibodies and novel epitopes. We are excited to combine our expertise with Sanofi’s leadership in vaccine development to advance next-generation therapeutics and vaccines.”

The collaboration underscores Kling’s commitment to transforming disease prevention and treatment through advanced antibody discovery technologies.

The European Commission has approved EZMEKLY (mirdametinib) for treatment of symptomatic, inoperable plexiform neurofibromas in patients with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) aged two and older.

It is the first authorised therapy in the EU for both adult and paediatric NF1-PN patients.

Merck announced the decision, which grants conditional marketing authorisation to SpringWorks Therapeutics, a Merck healthcare company. NF1-PN is a rare genetic disorder that affects an estimated 135,000 people in the EU, causing disfigurement, pain and disability.

Ignacio Blanco MD, Chairman of the National Reference Center for Adult Patients with Neurofibromatosis in Spain, said: “This approval represents an important advance, especially for adults who previously did not have an approved treatment.”
The EC’s approval is supported by the phase 2b ReNeu trial, which enrolled 114 NF1-PN patients aged two and above. The trial showed confirmed objective response rates of 41% in adults and 52% in children, with significant reductions in tumour size and improvements in quality of life.

Annette Bakker, CEO of the Children’s Tumor Foundation, and Dariusz Adamczewski MD, Director of CTF Europe, said: “This European Commission approval is an important milestone for NF patients and caregivers.”

EZMEKLY is available in tablet form that dissolves in water, helping those unable to swallow pills. Adverse reactions in adults included dermatitis acneiform, diarrhoea, nausea and musculoskeletal pain. In children, reactions included elevated blood creatine phosphokinase, abdominal pain, vomiting and headache.

Jan Kirsten, Global Head of Rare Tumor Business at Merck, added: “We are taking a major step toward improving care for this underserved community.”