Sanofi Enters Diabetes Research Pact

Sanofi-Aventis has entered into a research collaboration with Columbia University Medical Center for the development of new diabetes treatments. The three-year research collaboration with Dr. Gerard Karsenty’s lab will investigate the role of the osteoblast-secreted peptide, osteocalcin, in diabetes management. Sanofi will sponsor research in Dr. Karsenty’s lab and has an option to license and develop existing patents as well as any results from the research. Financial terms were not disclosed.

“We have spent more than a decade uncovering the biology of osteocalcin,” said Dr. Karsenty. “We are delighted to have Sanofi-aventis as a collaborating partner to help us continue this research.”