Sanofi-Aventis teams up with JDRF

PARIS Sanofi-Aventis and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation announced they jointly will develop therapeutic treatments for people with Type 1 diabetes at different stages of the disease -- both those living with the disease and the newly diagnosed -- as well as to prevent diabetes in those at risk.

Under the newly announced partnership, Sanofi-Aventis and JDRF will jointly provide academic investigators and non-profit medical research organizations with funding to conduct research projects in regeneration and immune therapy. This partnership will provide Sanofi-Aventis with options to the intellectual property developed by researchers who receive funding through the program.

"Sanofi-Aventis is committed to providing healthcare solutions that meet the needs of people with diabetes and their families," said Pierre Chancel, SVP global diabetes at Sanofi-Aventis. "Our long-acting insulin is one of the leading insulin products for patients with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, and we continue to invest in research for additional therapies and solutions to meet the unmet needs of patients. Our partnership with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation is an opportunity to help fund innovative research that will improve therapies and perhaps even find a cure for Type 1 diabetes."

The partnership will capitalize on the JDRF's network of academicians, institutions and biotech partners, while also leveraging Sanofi-Aventis' drug development experience to help bring products and technologies to the clinic and eventually to patients, the drug maker said.

"JDRF is focused on immune therapies and regeneration as two key areas to develop better treatments and cures for diabetes," said Jeffrey Brewer, president and CEO at JDRF. "Partnering with businesses such as Sanofi-Aventis, with their tremendous experience in bringing research to market to benefit patients, is an important way we can accelerate the pace of science leading to a cure."