Industry Watch [to 17 October 2015]
:: Sanofi Pasteur and the Infectious Disease Research Institute Partner on a Global-Health, Open-Innovation, Vaccine Research & Development Center
SWIFTWATER, Pennsylvania, October 15, 2015 /PRNewswire/ —

Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of Sanofi, announced today the creation of a Global Health Vaccine Center of Innovation (GHVCI) with the Infectious Disease Research Institute (IDRI), a Seattle, USA-based global-health, non-profit institute with a focus on developing new products to combat the world’s most devastating infectious diseases. This project is also funded in part by a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, as the proposed R&D alliance is related to the Gates Foundation and Sanofi Pasteur’s strategic agreement on a Vaccine Discovery Partnership signed in 2013.

The addition of IDRI will enable vaccine adjuvant/formulation platforms and a pipeline of vaccine candidates to be discovered, evaluated and developed to address a range of infectious diseases under the center of innovation based at IDRI. The GHVCI will be co-funded by the Gates Foundation and Sanofi Pasteur under a tripartite agreement.

The GHVCI has been established to accelerate the development of vaccines and supporting technologies to address infectious diseases and ensuring that new critical vaccines are available to populations in developing countries. Sanofi Pasteur will leverage the resources and expertise of this external R&D innovation center and obtain access to IDRI’s adjuvants and vaccine antigens.

“IDRI is a partner of choice as they are a world-leader in the development and evaluation of adjuvant formulations, using a broad portfolio of adjuvants with different immune-stimulating properties,” commented Jim Tartaglia, PhD, R&D VP for new vaccine projects at Sanofi Pasteur. “The Institute has a world-class staff and capabilities in immunology and GMP production”.

“There are a number of diseases that are of great global-health significance, where Sanofi Pasteur could significantly contribute,” according to John Shiver, PhD, Sr. VP for R&D at Sanofi Pasteur; “however, commercial realities provide a challenge to investment. The establishment of this Global Health Vaccines Center of Innovation represents a new opportunity–operating within the open innovation R&D model–to provide antigens, adjuvanted formulations, funding, and expertise to allow development of needed vaccines.”

This distinctive collaboration brings together the complementary expertise of Sanofi Pasteur’s position as a leading, multi-national vaccine developer, manufacturer, and seller; IDRI’s antigens, vaccine design, formulation and production expertise; and the Gates Foundation’s knowledge, global influence and financial support. A Joint Steering Committee, comprised of representatives from each of the three partners, will be formed to manage the mission of the GHVCI.