Global Briefs: Bayer & Sanofi

A roundup of news from Bayer and Sanofi.

* Bayer Opens $140-M US Oncology Research Center
* Sanofi Launches Nonprofit Brand for 30 Drugs in Low-Income Countries


Bayer Opens $140-M US Oncology Research Center
Bayer has opened a new $140-million, 62,100-square-foot research and innovation center for precision medicine molecular oncology research in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

The center is equipped with laboratories and offices for the development of targeted cancer therapies and comprises a newly established research team focused on chemical biology techniques to improve the company’s oncology drug-development process. The new center provides space for 100 employees, and the company says it is prepared to fill an additional 50 roles in the coming months (as reported on June 29, 2022).

In addition to the new center, Bayer has established strategic research collaborations with scientific partners in Boston, including joint laboratories in the areas of lung disease with Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital and precision cardiology with the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard.

Bayer says it is aiming to become a top 10 oncology company by 2030 and that it is investing a “significant” portion of its global R&D budget toward oncology.

Source: Bayer


Sanofi Launches Nonprofit Brand for 30 Drugs in Low-Income Countries
Sanofi Global Health, a nonprofit unit within Sanofi, has launched Impact, a new brand of medicines produced by Sanofi dedicated for nonprofit distribution to at-risk populations in developing countries.

The brand, which includes insulin, glibenclamide, and oxaliplatin, will enable the secure distribution of 30 Sanofi medicines in 40 lower-income countries. The medicines cover a wide range of therapeutic areas, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, tuberculosis, malaria, and cancer.

The launch of the brand is among the steps taken since the formation last year (2021) of Sanofi Global Health, a dedicated nonprofit unit in the company that seeks to increase access to healthcare through the distribution of medicines and the building and bolstering of local healthcare systems in countries with the lowest per capita gross domestic product.

The company has also established an Impact fund that will support start-up companies and other innovators that can deliver scalable solutions for sustainable healthcare in underserved regions by providing businesses financing and technical assistance.

Source: Sanofi