Sanofi Forms Three-Year Immunology Research Collaboration with Stanford Medicine

Sanofi has entered into a three-year research collaboration with Stanford University School of Medicine, Sanofi announced on May 6, 2021. The two organizations and their scientists will work together to advance the understanding of immunology and inflammation through open scientific exchange. Sanofi will additionally provide funding and scientific inputs into projects of mutual interest, crossing multiple therapeutic areas, including autoimmune diseases and inflammatory conditions.

Under the collaboration, Sanofi and Stanford Medicine will create a joint steering committee to fund up to three programs per year. Sanofi will host an annual research forum for researchers from both organizations with the goal of further exchanging ideas, sharing knowledge and perspectives on relevant scientific matters, and discussing collaborative research projects.

The collaboration will begin with three "deep-dive" research projects:

• Exploring cytokine crosstalk in type 2 inflammation—this project will specifically examine the impact of Sanofi’s investigational molecules on excessive type 2 inflammation.
• Decoding molecular drivers of effector and suppressor T cells in autoimmunity—the goal of this project is to better understand the specific antigens that may cause type 1 diabetes.
• Defining the mechanisms of immune-related adverse events with immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy—this project will focus on pneumonitis and inflammatory arthritis, exploring the role of genomics and pathogenic cell identification.

“We look forward to working with some of the most innovative scientists in the human immunology community. Together we will explore groundbreaking concepts and obtain deeper insights into underlying inflammatory disease mechanisms,” said Frank Nestle, global head of Research and chief scientific officer, Sanofi, in the company press release. "Sanofi’s collaboration with Stanford University aims to transform how autoimmune disorders and inflammatory conditions are understood and treated. It will help accelerate our ambitious immunoscience programs as we advance a rich pipeline of first- and best-in-class medicines across key therapeutic areas to address unmet patient needs.”

“Stanford Medicine is dedicated to advancing knowledge and discovery with the goal of improving our ability to predict, prevent, and cure disease with the most precise approaches,” said Lloyd Minor, MD, dean of the Stanford School of Medicine, in the press release. “The opportunity for long-term collaboration with our colleagues at Sanofi will allow us to explore together new frontiers in autoimmune diseases and inflammatory conditions.”

Source: Sanofi