Sanofi inks research pact with Lead Pharma to develop treatments for autoimmune diseases

Sanofi has entered into a research collaboration and license agreement with Lead Pharma,  a Dutch biotech company, to discover, develop and commercialize small-molecule therapies directed against the nuclear hormone receptors called ROR gamma (t) to treat a broad range of autoimmune disorders, including rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis and inflammatory bowel disease, which are among the most common.

"Anti-ROR gamma (t) therapies represent a ground-breaking opportunity that we are eager and motivated to pursue through our collaboration with Lead Pharma," said Christian Antoni vice president and head of the immunology & inflammation franchise, research & development, Sanofi. "At Sanofi, we believe networked innovations - working collaboratively across science sectors - is the most effective way to bring meaningful new therapies to patients. To this end, Lead Pharma's innovative capabilities and productivity, exemplified by the ROR gamma (t) programme, make them ideal partners for Sanofi in this area of drug discovery."

Bristol-Myers

Bristol-Myers Squibb announced a collaboration with Duke University through its Duke Clinical Research Institute (DCRI) focused on clinical trial transparency. Bristol-Myers Squibb will expand access to a broader set of clinical trial information from in-scope company-sponsored studies and enable an independent scientific review through DCRI of requests from researchers that meet pre-specified requirements.

The collaboration with DCRI is one of a series of initiatives by Bristol-Myers Squibb to support data sharing and enhance the company’s existing policies on transparency and disclosure of clinical trial information. Clinical trial information being made available for scientific research will include protocols, full clinical study reports (CSR) and de-identified patient-level data and study-level data for medicines and indications approved in the U.S. and/or Europe for trials completed after January 2008. Information from terminated programs will be available two years after discontinuation.

“Bristol-Myers Squibb’s collaboration with DCRI reflects our commitment to providing broader, more timely access to important clinical trial information and serves as a catalyst to strengthening public confidence in medicines, advancing science and improving public health,” said Francis Cuss, MB BChir, FRCP, executive vice president and chief scientific officer, Bristol-Myers Squibb.