Sanofi-aventis has scored a wide-reaching research partnership with France's leading academic investigators, committing the Paris-based company to invest as much as $67 million (€50 million) over five years in French public-private partnerships. Pharmaceutical and life science companies are externalizing their R&D programs at a increasing clip. But broad-based collaborations with public sector institutions are notable, since they have the potential to identify drug candidates and technology platforms with promising commercial prospects at their earliest possible stage, before their value has risen in response to commercial interests.

 

Researchers in the partnership, members of AVIESAN, the French Life Science and Healthcare Alliance, will explore aging, immuno-inflammatory diseases, infectious diseases and regenerative medicine. To encourage and support their collaboration, Sanofi says it may even consider establishing research centers dedicated to the partnership.

 

In addition, Sanofi says it has signed a corporate sponsorship agreement for the National Center for Scientific Research and an INSERM ATIP-AVENIR sponsorship programme to support young researchers who want to set up their research labs in France with an annual stipend "to foster a spirit of collaboration and exchange between public and pharmaceutical industry researchers."

 

Sanofi's CEO, Christopher Viehbacher called the agreement "a major breakthrough in terms of public-private partnerships in France."

 

"By pooling the creativity and expertise of a multitude of world-renowned researchers, we are sure that this fruitful collaboration will boost innovation in life sciences in France," he says.

 

André Syrota, AVIESAN's chairman, says the the deal will help "better showcase French research abroad.”