Sanofi signs €50M pact with France’s public research bodies

Sanofi-aventis has signed a research partnership with AVIESAN, the French Life Sciences and Healthcare Alliance, with is made up of the CEA, CNRS, INRA, INRIA, Inserm, Institut Pasteur, IRD, Conference of University Presidents and Conference of regional and university hospital CEOs.

This is the first time such a partnership has been signed with all members of the academic research community in the field of healthcare in France. The aim is to enhance scientific knowledge in life sciences and healthcare, to contribute to the excellence and strength of French research and to develop projects, in areas including ageing, immuno-inflammatory diseases, infectious diseases and regenerative medicine.

This will include setting up joint teams, laboratories, technological platforms and research centres for sanofi-aventis and AVIESAN.

Sanofi also agreed a corporate sponsorship for the CNRS and INSERM programme ATIP AVENIR, which supports young researchers who want to set up their research laboratory in France.

These two agreements are part of the goal set by France’s Strategic Committee for Healthcare Industries (CSIS) to bolster funding for partnerships between manufacturers and academic research laboratories to encourage innovation in healthcare. Sanofi-aventis has promised to invest €50 million into these partnerships over five years.

“We are very pleased to have entered into this partnership with the National Alliance for Life Sciences and Healthcare, which is a major breakthrough in terms of public-private partnerships in France,” said Christopher Viehbacher, CEO of Sanofi. “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”.

The National Alliance for Life Sciences and Healthcare (AVIESAN) is comprised of the French Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), the National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), the National Institute for Agricultural Research (INRA), the National Institute for Computer Science and Control (INRIA), the National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM), the Institut Pasteur, the Institute of Research for Development (IRD), the Conference of University Presidents (CPU) and the Conference of regional and university hospital CEOs.

ATIP (Action Thématique et Incitative sur Programme) is part of a partnership between CNRS and INSERM. Each year the two launch a joint call for proposals from young scientists of any nationality who completed their PhD within the past ten years, to create and lead a team within the CNRS or Inserm.