In another sign of increased early-stage collaboration between research institutions and large pharma companies, the Salk Institute for Biological Studies has formed a stem cell research partnership with Sanofi-Aventis, the Paris-based pharmaceutical giant. The Sanofi-Aventis Regenerative Medicine Program (SARP) will sponsor grants in promising research areas with the goal of providing long-term, multi-participant collaborations with scientists at San Diego-based Salk. Financial terms of the five-year alliance were not disclosed, and some details remain to be worked out. However, the deal “is meant to be a true collaboration, not just funding,” says Michael White, who oversees Salk’s office of technology management and development. The program also will provide unrestricted support for the Salk Institute’s stem cell facility, which was created as a separate laboratory supported by private funding during the years the Bush Administration placed restrictions on federal stem cell funding. Further collaboration and scientific exchange will be reinforced through annual research retreats and extended working lab visits between scientists from both organizations. “Our goal is to advance scientific knowledge, mostly in stem cell research, and apply major discoveries made under this strategic alliance toward diagnostics or therapies for human disease,” says Dr. Marc Cluzel, Sanofi-Aventis’ senior vice president, research and development. “We believe one way this can be expedited is through a collaborative research agreement.” Salk president William Brody says no preconditions were placed on the collaborative alliance. “Our scientists will continue to freely explore cutting-edge research and publish their work,” he says. Under the deal, Salk also will gain access to “extensive resources” at Sanofi-Aventis, including a large-scale facility in Tucson, AZ, for screening new compounds. “That’s something that’s very attractive to us, to be able to screen our targets with their drugs,” White says.

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Posted April 8th, 2009 under Tech Transfer

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