Sept 26 (Reuters) - French drugmaker Sanofi andits U.S. partner Regeneron Pharmaceuticals could winU.S. approval for their keenly awaited new eczema drugdupilumab, seen by analysts as a potential $3 billion-a-yearseller, by next March.
Sanofi badly needs new products to make up for flaggingsales in its diabetes business, where its top-seller Lantusfaces growing competition.
The two companies said on Monday that the U.S. Food and DrugAdministration had accepted dupilumab for priority review fortreating atopic dermatitis (AD), a skin inflammation also knownas atopic eczema, and set a target decision date of March 29.
Dupilumab, an injectable antibody drug, is seen by investorsas perhaps Sanofi's most promising pipeline medicine, since ithas produced promising clinical results and could be firstsystemic therapy for severe AD.
The drug is also being developed for severe asthma, where itwill compete with a wave of other new biotech medicines such asGlaxoSmithKline's Nucala and Teva's Cinqair.
Industry analysts, on average, forecast annual sales fordupilumab of $3.0 billion by 2021, according to Thomson ReutersCortellis. (Reporting by Ben Hirschler; editing by Jason Neely)
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