Sanofi and Genzyme ally with Cystic Fibrosis Foundation

Sanofi and subsidiary Genzyme have entered into a new alliance with the Cystic Fibrosis (CF) Foundation focusing on the development of new treatments for the disease.

The companies are allying with CF Foundation Therapeutics to conduct studies into new drugs to treat people with the most common mutation among CF patients, Delta F508.

It aims to identify compounds called correctors, which are able to assist malfunctioning CFTR proteins to resume normal function by addressing the Delta F508 abnormality.

This collaboration will draw on the expertise and compound libraries of both Sanofi and Genzyme, building on past collaborations between the pharmaceutical group and the CF Foundation.

Genzyme's president and chief executive officer David Meeker said: "Together with the CF Foundation, we look forward to working to accelerate the pace of discovery on behalf of CF patients around the world."

Earlier this month, Sanofi and Genzyme published positive new data from a phase III clinical trial of Lemtrada, a developmental therapy option for multiple sclerosis.