Paris-based Sanofi Completes The Acquisition Of Vigil Neuroscience,Inc.

This follows Sanofi’s €34.5 million strategic investment in June 2024, which granted it exclusive negotiation rights for licensing, development, and commercialization of Vigil’s therapy.

Houman Ashrafian, MD, PhD, Head of Research and Development, Sanofi, said: “This acquisition is fully supporting Sanofi’s strategic focus on neurology and on advancing science and leveraging our expertise in immunology to solve areas of critical unmet need. TREM2 represents a compelling target at the intersection of immune dysregulation and neurodegeneration, particularly in people living with Alzheimer’s because they face devastating cognitive decline with limited treatment options.

Vigil’s expertise is complementary to our capabilities in neurology and reinforces our dedication to developing innovative medicines to improve people’s lives. Vigil’s team are a welcome addition, and we look forward to working with them and the patient community.”

Sanofi, a research-driven, AI-powered biopharma company, is dedicated to improving lives and driving growth through innovative medicines and vaccines. Leveraging deep expertise in immunology, Sanofi’s pipeline aims to treat and protect millions worldwide—and has the potential to benefit many more in the future.

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Founded in 2020, Vigil Neuroscience is a U.S.-based clinical-stage biotech company focused on treating both rare and common neurodegenerative diseases by restoring the function of microglia—the brain’s immune sentinels. Its lead candidate, VGL101, is a fully human monoclonal antibody that activates TREM2, a receptor on microglial cells, and is being developed for ALSP, a rare and fatal neurological disorder.

Vigil is also advancing VG-3927, a novel small molecule TREM2 agonist, aimed at treating more common neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer’s disease (AD), particularly in genetically defined subpopulations where microglial dysfunction plays a central role.

Sanofi highlights that in conditions like Alzheimer’s, impaired microglial activation leads to debris buildup, chronic inflammation, and progressive neurodegeneration. TREM2 activation enhances microglial response—promoting movement to injury sites, boosting phagocytosis, and supporting cell survival—helping prevent neural decline.

Current Alzheimer’s treatments neither halt nor reverse disease progression and often have strict eligibility criteria. There remains a pressing need for safer, more effective, and accessible therapies—something Sanofi and Vigil aim to deliver through their combined expertise.

Ivana Magovčević-Liebisch, PhD, JD, President & Chief Executive Officer, Vigil, said: “We are incredibly proud of the extraordinary and diverse team at Vigil and the progress we have made in developing innovative TREM2-based therapeutics. We look forward to joining forces with Sanofi’s team to leverage Sanofi’s resources, broad platform and far-reaching network to fully unlock and accelerate the development of VG-3927 for the potential treatment of Alzheimer’s disease – a devastating disease with significant unmet need.”

The acquisition of Vigil Neuroscience significantly enhances Sanofi’s early stage neurology pipeline, notably with VG-3927 which is set to enter a Phase 2 clinical trial for Alzheimer’s disease. It also adds a robust preclinical portfolio that will support Sanofi’s broader research efforts in neurodegenerative conditions.

Under the terms of the deal, Sanofi acquired all outstanding common shares of Vigil for €6.91 per share in cash, valuing the transaction at approximately €405 million on a fully diluted basis. In addition, Vigil shareholders received a non-transferable contingent value right (CVR) per share entitling them to a deferred cash payment of €1.73 upon the first commercial sale of VG-3927.

Notably, Vigil’s second clinical program, VGL101, was not included in the acquisition. The transaction is not expected to impact Sanofi’s financial guidance for 2025.