JDRF and sanofi-aventis Form Promising Partnership to Develop New Therapies for Type 1 Diabetes

Earlier this month, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) announced a partnership with sanofi-aventis to jointly fund, research, and develop new therapeutics for type 1 diabetes. Funding from the partnership will be specifically directed to research on the immune system and the regeneration of pancreatic beta cells, toward the ultimate prevention or cure for type 1 diabetes. We will be greatly looking forward to the products of this partnership, as both organizations bring outstanding expertise to the table. The JDRF will leverage its network of researchers, institutions, and biotech partners and continue to advance its mission to bring about better treatment options and a cure for people with type 1 diabetes, and sanofi-aventis will add its global resources and substantial experience in drug development to the mix. Both organizations also stand to benefit from the collaboration; JDRF may receive future financial compensation from sanofi-aventis, while the drug maker will retain intellectual property rights for discoveries made by researchers in the program. It’s very encouraging to see a large company like sanofi-aventis exploring new therapies for type 1 diabetes; traditionally, major pharmaceutical companies without device businesses have focused on the larger type 2 diabetes market. Additionally, the JDRF deserves significant credit for continuing to attack type 1 diabetes on all fronts by partnering with industry – stay tuned for updates on this collaboration. --AB