Biomedical Sciences Blog

Big Pharma companies have been frustrated with low productivity and skyrocketing R&D budgets. As a consequence, there is a growing partnership between drug developers and academic research institutes.

Besides Genentech and UC San Francisco, French drugmaker Sanofi-Aventis said Wednesday it has formed a research partnership with France's National Alliance for Life Sciences and Healthcare to boost research in areas such as aging, infectious diseases and regenerative medicine.

The drugmaker also entered a corporate sponsorship agreement to provide an annual allowance that supports researchers who set up their labs in France. Sanofi has pledged to invest as much as 50 million euros (about $68 million) in the partnerships over five years.

The National Alliance includes the French Atomic Energy Commission, the National Centre for Scientific Research and the National Institute of Health and Medical Research, among other agencies.

Big drugmakers have turned more to partnerships or acquisitions in recent years to help defray research costs and develop a steady stream of new drug possibilities.

Sources: AP and Sanofi-aventis