Sanofi-aventis has signed a research partnership with Aviesan (National Alliance for Life Sciences and Healthcare), comprised of the CEA, CNRS, INRA, INRIA, Inserm, Institut Pasteur, IRD, conference of university presidents and conference of regional and university hospital CEOs.

Sanofi-aventis said that the aim of the research partnership with Aviesan is to enhance scientific knowledge in the areas of life sciences and healthcare, to develop projects benefiting patients, in research areas like ageing, immuno-inflammatory diseases, infectious diseases and regenerative medicine.

Sanofi-aventis also has entered into a corporate sponsorship agreement for the CNRS and INSERM ATIP AVENIR sponsorship program to support young researchers who wish to set up their research laboratory in France.

Sanofi-aventis will therefore support, on the basis of an annual allowance, the program’s laureates, to foster a spirit of collaboration and exchange between public and pharmaceutical industry researchers.

These agreements are part of the goal set by the Strategic Committee for Healthcare Industries (CSIS) funding for partnerships between manufacturers and academic research laboratories in order to encourage innovation in healthcare.

Christopher Viehbacher, CEO of Sanofi-aventis, said: “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. 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, and ultimately lead to major discoveries that will benefit patients.”

Source: Pharmaceutical Business Review