Sanofi establishes three-year collaboration with Stanford Medicine to accelerate immunology research

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

"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. "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."  

Sanofi and Stanford Medicine will create a Joint Steering Committee to fund up to three programs a year. Sanofi will host an annual research forum for researchers from both organizations to further exchange ideas, share knowledge and perspectives on relevant scientific matters, and discuss collaborative research projects.  

"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. "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."

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

• Exploring cytokine crosstalk in type 2 inflammation, specifically examining the impact of Sanofi's investigational molecules on excessive type 2 inflammation.
• Decoding molecular drivers of effector and suppressor T cells in autoimmunity, 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 – with a focus on pneumonitis and inflammatory arthritis – to explore the role of genomics and pathogenic cell identification.

EDITOR'S NOTE: This new initiative is the latest chapter in Sanofi's long history of collaboration that includes the Sanofi Innovation Awards (iAwards), a multi-institutional academic partnership program designed to accelerate and innovative, early-stage, disease-relevant research towards the clinic. The iAwards represent one of the largest academic–industry collaborations run by a biopharma company, and have generated early research that has led to important scientific advancements in the field, including contributions to Sanofi's own pipeline.

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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Sanofi Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts. These statements include projections and estimates and their underlying assumptions, statements regarding plans, objectives, intentions and expectations with respect to future financial results, events, operations, services, product development and potential, and statements regarding future performance. Forward-looking statements are generally identified by the words "expects", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "plans" and similar expressions. Although Sanofi's management believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, investors are cautioned that forward-looking information and statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict and generally beyond the control of Sanofi, that could cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied or projected by, the forward-looking information and statements. These risks and uncertainties include among other things, the uncertainties inherent in research and development, future clinical data and analysis, including post marketing, decisions by regulatory authorities, such as the FDA or the EMA, regarding whether and when to approve any drug, device or biological application that may be filed for any such product candidates as well as their decisions regarding labelling and other matters that could affect the availability or commercial potential of such product candidates, the fact that product candidates if approved may not be commercially successful, the future approval and commercial success of therapeutic alternatives, Sanofi's ability to benefit from external growth opportunities, to complete related transactions and/or obtain regulatory clearances, risks associated with intellectual property and any related pending or future litigation and the ultimate outcome of such litigation,  trends in exchange rates and prevailing interest rates, volatile economic and market conditions, cost containment initiatives and subsequent changes thereto, and the impact that COVID-19 will have on us, our customers, suppliers, vendors, and other business partners, and the financial condition of any one of them, as well as on our employees and on the global economy as a whole.  Any material effect of COVID-19 on any of the foregoing  could also adversely impact us. This situation is changing rapidly and additional impacts may arise of which we are not currently aware and may exacerbate other previously identified risks. The risks and uncertainties also include the uncertainties discussed or identified in the public filings with the SEC and the AMF made by Sanofi, including those listed under "Risk Factors" and "Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements" in Sanofi's annual report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2020. Other than as required by applicable law, Sanofi does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information or statements.

Source: Sanofi (EURONEXT: SAN) (NASDAQ: SNY)

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