Sanofi-aventis to develop asthma and COPD treatments

Sanofi-aventis has signed a three-year agreement with John Hopkins University to develop treatments for respiratory diseases.

The partnership with the Division of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (ACI) at the university will investigate more specifically immuno-allergic diseases, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and severe asthma.

Collaboration between the two centres will include the selection of biomakers and decisions relating to the design of clinical studies.

“For each research theme, John Hopkins ACI and sanofi-aventis will work on new target identification, assay development and compound screening,” said sanofi-aventis.

Dr Marc Cluzel, senior vice president of research and development for the company, said he is looking forward to working with the university.

Severe asthma is defined as patients who do not respond well to such therapies as high dose inhaled steroids. The company said more research is needed into the main path-physiological mechanisms of the condition.

Sanofi-aventis has over 18,000 research staff worldwide in 25 centres.