Sanofi Canada is teaming up with the Quebec Consortium for Drug Discovery (CQDM) to support research in Quebec and Canada. The company has agreed to contribute up to $500,000 over an up-to-five-year period to research projects aimed at improving drug discovery and development and solving complex medical problems.

Pharma-based consortium CQDM aims to fund the development of tools and technologies to accelerate the discovery and development of novel drugs. This partnership is also granting Sanofi Canada membership in the Explore program, which CQDM says targets innovative breakthrough technologies in order to enable drug discovery. CQDM added that, in addition to Sanofi Canada's contribution, the consortium will receive in-kind contributions, including the involvement of a senior North American representative on its Explore advisory committee as well as the participation of key scientists at Sanofi in CQDM's mentorship program.

Marc Bonnefoi, the North America head of R&D at Sanofi, said in a statement that this partnership dovetails nicely with the firm's open innovation strategy. “Sanofi Canada is committed to investing in R&D, which contributes to establishing Quebec and Canada on the global R&D map and creating an environment for future collaboration and innovation for the benefit of our society and, ultimately, patients,” added Franca Mancino, Sanofi Canada's vp, medical and regulatory affairs.

Sanofi Canada is the newest pharmaceutical member to join CQDM's precompetitive research biopharmaceutical consortium, which also includes AstraZeneca, Merck, Pfizer Canada, Boehringer Ingelheim, GSK, Eli Lilly Canada, and Novartis Pharma Canada. CQDM also receives financial support from Quebec's Ministry of Economy, Innovation, and Exportations and the Government of Canada under the Business-Led Networks of Centres of Excellence program.

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