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.

About Sanofi 

Sanofi, a global healthcare leader, discovers, develops and distributes therapeutic solutions focused on patients' needs. Sanofi has core strengths in diabetes solutions, human vaccines, innovative drugs, consumer healthcare, emerging markets, animal health and Genzyme. Sanofi is listed in Paris ((EURONEXT: SAN) and in New York (NYSE: SNY).

Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of Sanofi, provides more than 1 billion doses of vaccine each year, making it possible to immunize more than 500 million people across the globe. A world leader in the vaccine industry, Sanofi Pasteur offers a broad range of vaccines protecting against 20 infectious diseases. The company's heritage, to create vaccines that protect life, dates back more than a century. Sanofi Pasteur is the largest company entirely dedicated to vaccines. Every day, the company invests more than EUR 1 million in research and development. For more information, please visit: http://www.sanofipasteur.com or http://www.sanofipasteur.us

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 absence of guarantee that the product candidates if approved will be commercially successful, the future approval and commercial success of therapeutic alternatives, the Group's ability to benefit from external growth opportunities, trends in exchange rates and prevailing interest rates, the impact of cost containment policies and subsequent changes thereto, the average number of shares outstanding as well as those 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, 2014. Other than as required by applicable law, Sanofi does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information or statements. 

Contacts:

Global Media Relations
Alain Bernal
T. +33-4-37-37-50-38
[email protected]
http://www.sanofipasteur.com

U.S. Media Relations
Susan Watkins
T. +1-570-957-2563
[email protected]
http://www.sanofipasteur.us

SOURCE Sanofi Pasteur

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