Sanofi launches dedicated vaccines mRNA Center of Excellence

• Approximately €400million investment annually to accelerate end-to-end R&D of next-generation vaccines, fully financed through resource reallocation
• Focus on innovating mRNA vaccines beyond pandemic to routine use in diseases with high unmet need
• Expected minimum of six clinical candidates by 2025

Sanofi will invest approximately €400 million annually in a first-of-its kind vaccines mRNA Center of Excellence. The Center will work to accelerate the development and delivery of next-generation vaccines by bringing together approximately 400 dedicated employees integrating end-to-end mRNA vaccine capabilities with dedicated R&D, digital, and chemistry, manufacturing and controls (CMC) teams across sites at Cambridge, MA (US) and Marcy l’Etoile, Lyon (France).

“During the COVID-19 pandemic, mRNA technologies demonstrated potential to deliver new vaccines faster than ever before. However, key areas of innovation such as thermostability and tolerability improvements will be critical to unlock the applications of mRNA in routine vaccination against a broader set of infectious diseases and across all ages. The Sanofi mRNA vaccines Center of Excellence aims to lead the field in this next chapter of vaccine innovation,” said Jean-Francois Toussaint, Global Head of Research and Development, Sanofi Pasteur.  

The Center of Excellence will enable acceleration of the vaccines mRNA portfolio developed through the Translate Bio collaboration established in 2018 and expanded in 2020.

“This massive new investment clearly puts us in the race to develop next-generation vaccines where mRNA technologies can have greatest impact.” said Thomas Triomphe, Executive Vice President, Global Head of Sanofi Pasteur. “While mRNA won’t be the solution for every infectious disease, its translation into routine prevention could have immense impact for many unmet public health needs. It now becomes a critical new technology in our comprehensive vaccines toolbox, one which could help reinvent health protection in the future.”

Sanofi is committed to rapidly establishing an industry-competitive mRNA platform and is working with our partners and all relevant stakeholders, internally and externally, to achieve this objective.

This article was first published on June 29 by SANOFI.