Sanofi, UCB Forge Academic Ties

Sanofi has teamed with Weill Cornell Medical College to find anti-infectives to treat tuberculosis, in the latest agreement between a large drug company and an academic institution. The French firm will provide a library of 80,000 compounds for screening at Weill Cornell, which has received funding for the project from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. In a separate deal, UCB and Harvard University have joined to accelerate drug discovery related to central nervous system and immunology disorders. UCB will dedicate up to $6 million in funding over the two-year pact and contribute its experience in antibody generation and medicinal chemistry.