SATT Nord signs a research partnership with SANOFI GENZYME, in collaboration with the University of Lille, Lille University Hospital, and INSERM
Lille, October 3, 2016 – Sanofi Genzyme and SATT Nord (Société d’Accélération du Transfert de technologie), together with the University of Lille, the Lille University Hospital, and Inserm (supervising laboratories U1172 and UMR995) are joining forces in a public-private research partnership to find new treatments for neurodegenerative diseases, including multiple sclerosis (MS). Sanofi Genzyme's Medical Affairs department and the Lille research teams will collaborate on the development of molecules that have been selected for their neuroprotective and/or remyelinating potential.
"This partnership with Sanofi Genzyme should enable discoveries to be transformed into therapeutic innovations, paving the way for multiple sclerosis treatments that effectively block demyelination and neuronal degeneration," said Professor Patrick Vermersch, Neurologist, Vice Dean of Research at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Lille, Head of Team 3 LIRIC-INSERM U995.
This three-and-a-half-year joint project draws on the expertise of multidisciplinary teams in Lille—neurology, immunology, pharmaceutical chemistry—and Sanofi Genzyme's Medical Affairs teams. It could lead to a clinical study. Multiple sclerosis is a progressive neurological disease that affects nearly 100,000 people in France, with 5,000 new cases diagnosed each year. The treatments available today aim to achieve remission by acting on both relapses and disability.
"Each partner brings its own expertise to the table, whether in basic research, clinical trials, or pharmaceutical development. Networking is essential to advancing even more effective treatments for multiple sclerosis, a serious and debilitating disease for which there are still significant unmet medical needs," adds Dr. Christian Deleuze, President of Sanofi Genzyme France.
This partnership is part of Lille's scientific environment, which is particularly involved in MS. The treatment of this disease is a priority for the region, as there is a north-south gradient of MS in France, with a high concentration of patients in the Nord Pas de Calais region (8,000 patients). Lille participated in the creation of the first city-hospital network for MS with the G-SEP network, which was created twelve years ago and certified by the Regional Health Agency to improve overall patient care.
SATT Nord enabled the laboratories to bring this project to a stage of maturity sufficient for an industrial partner to take over. This partnership is an example of a promising transfer between academic and private research.
"Our role is to identify academic laboratory projects that have commercial potential and to map out the path to take in order to attract industrial partners or create start-ups. SATT is firmly rooted in the university hospital system, which makes it a great gateway for industry," says Norbert Benamou, CEO of SATT Nord and President of the SATT Network.
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