Sanofi-aventis announced the signature of a Memorandum of Understanding laying the foundation for a strategic alliance with the Salk Institute for Biological Studies (La Jolla, California, USA).

"We are delighted to have the opportunity to work with sanofi-aventis to support our researchers and promote scientific exchange with an ultimate goal of improving human health," stated Dr Marsha Chandler, executive vice president of the Salk Institute. Designed as a close research collaboration, the "Sanofi-aventis Regenerative Medicine Programme" at the Salk Institute will support the Institute's stem cell facility, for up to five years, and provide flexible financial support to individual scientists to accelerate innovative research projects in public health. Further, it will complement the Salk Institute's efforts to promote scientific discoveries that have an important impact on the understanding of human health.

"This strategic alliance will significantly enrich our research activities in the field of regenerative medicine and will give us the opportunity to apply the discoveries to potential new diagnostics or therapies for human diseases," underlined Dr Marc Cluzel, senior vice president, Research & Development, sanofi-aventis.

The Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, California, is an independent non-profit organization dedicated to fundamental discoveries in the life sciences, the improvement of human health and the training of future generations of researchers.