Under the agreement, the National Institute for Health Research’s Clinical Research Network (CRN) Greater Manchester (GM) – a consortium of multiple clinical sites addressing various therapeutic areas – will become the French drugmaker’s first UK "Premier Site."
Sanofi spokesperson Andrew Law told us the collaboration – and "Premier Site" status – “supports high levels of information sharing and a close relationship between the organizations to benefit both of us.”
“Through the partnership, Sanofi hopes to work closely with the NHR CRN Greater Manchester moving forward to identify which sites are most appropriate for each therapeutic area Sanofi is pursuing,” said Law.
The goal is to accelerate development of Sanofi’s clinical trials for the benefits of patients, he added.
For CRN Greater Manchester, the joint venture makes its network more accessible to Sanofi-sponsored studies.
Currently, seven Sanofi-sponsored studies are being conducted in Greater Manchester, a CRN GM spokesperson told us.
“Three of these are open to recruitment, and four – one in dermatology, two in diabetes, and one in cancer – are presently in set-up,” he added.
Recruitment and accessibility?
The CRN GM spokesperson said he was confident the agreement – a “reputational boon” – will help local research institutions improve patient recruitment rates.
The Sanofi spokesperson similarly said the partnership would impact enrolment accessibility to trials.
“The most important objectives of the partnership include accelerating patient recruitment as well as receiving input on clinical trial protocol designs,” he told us.