Sanofi to Invest €400 Million Annually in First-ever mRNA Vaccine Center of Excellence
Pharma giant Sanofi will spend €400 million annually towards a vaccines mRNA Center of Excellence, which will be the first of its kind.
The primary focus will be on innovating mRNA vaccines beyond pandemic to routine use in diseases with high unmet needs. The approximately €400 million yearly investment is fully financed through resource reallocation and will be used to accelerate end-to-end R&D of next-generation vaccines.
Innovating mRNA vaccines beyond pandemic to routine use
The Center will bring together around 400 committed employees to expedite the development and delivery of next-generation vaccines by merging end-to-end mRNA vaccine capabilities with specialized R&D, digital, and chemistry, manufacturing, and controls (CMC) teams across sites at Cambridge, MA (US) and Marcy l’Etoile, Lyon (France). Sanofi expects to be developing a minimum of six clinical candidates by 2025.
Jean-Francois Toussaint, Global Head of Research and Development, Sanofi Pasteur commented:
“During the COVID-19 pandemic, mRNA technologies demonstrated potential to deliver new vaccines faster than ever before. However, key areas of innovation such as thermostability and tolerability improvements will be critical to unlock the applications of mRNA in routine vaccination against a broader set of infectious diseases and across all ages. The Sanofi mRNA vaccines Center of Excellence aims to lead the field in this next chapter of vaccine innovation.”
The Center of Excellence will help accelerate the development of the vaccines mRNA portfolio that was launched in 2018 and will be expanded in 2020 as part of the Translate Bio collaboration.
Thomas Triomphe, Executive Vice President, Global Head of Sanofi Pasteur stated:
“This massive new investment clearly puts us in the race to develop next-generation vaccines where mRNA technologies can have greatest impact. While mRNA won’t be the solution for every infectious disease, its translation into routine prevention could have immense impact for many unmet public health needs. It now becomes a critical new technology in our comprehensive vaccines toolbox, one which could help reinvent health protection in the future.”
Sanofi is dedicated to developing an industry-competitive mRNA platform as quickly as possible and is working with its partners and other key stakeholders, both internally and externally, to meet this target.
About Sanofi
Sanofi is dedicated to supporting people through their health challenges. We are a global biopharmaceutical company focused on human health. We prevent illness with vaccines, provide innovative treatments to fight pain and ease suffering. We stand by the few who suffer from rare diseases and the millions with long-term chronic conditions. With more than 100,000 people in 100 countries, Sanofi is transforming scientific innovation into healthcare solutions around the globe.
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