Sanofi invests in mRNA Center of Excellence for vaccines

June 29, 2021

Mission is to expand its collection of mRNA vaccines beyond the Covid-19 pandemic

Sanofi will invest $476 million annually, as the big pharma looks to establish a vaccines mRNA Center of Excellence. The center’s goal is to speed up the development and delivery of next-generation vaccines—approximately 400 employees across the Cambridge, MA, and Marcy l’Etoile, Lyon (France), locations will be working toward the effort. The involved departments include research and development, digital, and chemistry, manufacturing and controls (CMC).

Specifically, the Center of Excellence will enable acceleration of the vaccines mRNA portfolio developed through the Translate Bio collaboration established in 2018 and expanded in 2020.

“During the Covid-19 pandemic, mRNA technologies demonstrated potential to deliver new vaccines faster than ever before," says Jean-Francois Toussaint, global head of research and development, Sanofi Pasteur. "However, key areas of innovation such as thermostability and tolerability improvements will be critical to unlock the applications of mRNA in routine vaccination against a broader set of infectious diseases and across all ages. The Sanofi mRNA vaccines Center of Excellence aims to lead the field in this next chapter of vaccine innovation.”