Sanofi Pasteur supports the global Human Vaccines Project

Published: 14-Jan-2016

The research programme aims to accelerate the development of vaccines by decoding the human immune system


Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of French drugmaker Sanofi, is to partially fund the Human Vaccines Project, a public-private partnership that brings together leading academic researchers and industrial partners to solve the main factors holding back vaccine/immunotherapy development by 'decoding' the human immune system.

Sanofi Pasteur is providing research funding to oversee, coordinate and conduct the scientific and administrative activities of the Human Vaccines Project Research Programme this year. The funds will be used to launch and carry out pilot studies, build partnerships, and set up the infrastructure and operational support for the project.

The project, which seeks to raise US$1bn over the next 10 years, was incubated at the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) and is supported by academic research centres, industrial partners, and non-profit organisations to address the primary scientific barriers to developing new vaccines and immunotherapies.

'Sanofi Pasteur is proud to join this effort to accelerate and transform vaccine development for major and emerging infectious diseases as well as to better understand human immunology, which may be applicable toward disease management of other chronic disease states,' said Jim Tartaglia, Sanofi Pasteur's R&D Vice President for New Vaccine Projects. 'The Project's partnerships with industrial and non-profit product developers are key to ensuring that technological breakthroughs are rapidly translated into new products.'

As a member of the Industry Advisory Committee, Sanofi Pasteur will provide input on the Human Vaccines Project Research Programme, review both published and unpublished data, and participate at various scientific workshops to be held by the project. Sanofi Pasteur will be represented by R&D Vice President for Translational Science & Biomarkers, Kent Kester.

'A better understanding of human immunity holds the key to accelerating the vaccine and immunotherapy development for complex global diseases such as HIV, tuberculosis, emerging infectious diseases and cancers,' said Kester.

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