Merial wins award for University of Georgia alliance

Merial is to be presented with an award this week that recognises the groundbreaking work it has performed in conjunction with the University of Georgia.

The not-for-profit organisation Georgia Bio has selected the company and university as the recipients of this year's Phoenix Award, which honour industry/academia collaborations that have made outstanding contributions to the growth of the bioscience industry in Georgia.

Merial and the University of Georgia have been working together for three decades, spanning more than 100 formal collaborations, ranging from the exchange of materials and information to licence agreements that have seen university innovations become commercial products.

As such, the alliance has resulted in significant worldwide contributions to animal and human healthcare.

David Hartnett, vice-president of bioscience industry development for the Metro Atlanta Chamber, said: "This partnership is a shining example of how our industry leaders, corporate community and advanced research universities can not only work together, but accelerate ideas through common interests strategic objectives and like-minded goals."

Owned by Sanofi, Merial is one of the world's largest animal health companies and has more than 5,600 employees, 16 manufacturing sites and ten research centers across the globe.