Sanofi-aventis Strengthens Commitment to Research in France through Partnership with AVIESAN
-First Partnership Agreement to be signed with all players of the French Academic Research community
- Financial support of young research laureates of the ATIP AVENIR
sponsorship programme from CNRS and INSERM
- Investment of up to 50 million Euros over five years
in public-private partnerships
Paris, France - February 17, 2010 - Sanofi-aventis (EURONEXT: SAN and NYSE: SNY) announced
today the signing of a research partnership with AVIESAN (the French Life Sciences and Healthcare
Alliance), comprised 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 the players of the academic research community in the field of healthcare in France.
The aim of the research partnership with AVIESAN is to enhance scientific knowledge in the areas of life sciences and healthcare, to contribute to the excellence and strength of French research and to
develop ambitious projects benefiting patients, in research areas like ageing, immuno-inflammatory
diseases, infectious diseases and regenerative medicine. To encourage creativity, mutual teams,
laboratories, technological platforms and even research centres for sanofi-aventis and AVIESAN could be considered.
Sanofi-aventis also has entered into a corporate sponsorship agreement for the CNRS and INSERM
ATIP AVENIR sponsorship programme 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
programme'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)
to bolster funding for partnerships between manufacturers and academic research laboratories in order to encourage innovation in healthcare. Sanofi-aventis has promised to make a significant contribution to achieving this ambitious goal by investing as much as 50 million Euros 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 A. Viehbacher, CEO of sanofi-aventis. "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.Through this agreement, sanofi-aventis confirms once again its commitment to developing research
and innovation in France."
"We are delighted to have established this global partnership with sanofi-aventis, a world leader in
healthcare," said Pr. André Syrota, Chairman of AVIESAN. "This partnership, effective today with a
leading actor at the forefront of life sciences, should enable us to better showcase French research
abroad. We are very pleased to stand side-by-side with sanofi-aventis to conduct research from
fundamental science to patient application."