Press release – MIB and Sanofi enter into a strategic partnership to accelerate the development of new immunology therapies
Marseille, 14 October 2026 – MIB and Sanofi held the first Steering and Monitoring Committee meeting of their Translational Centre of Excellence (TCOE) on 30 September 2026. This meeting marks a key milestone in the operational implementation of the strategic partnership signed in March 2026. The TCOE is designed as an operational framework enabling teams from Sanofi, Aix-Marseille Université, Assistance Publique – Hôpitaux de Marseille (AP-HM) and the wider MIB ecosystem to work together from the earliest stages of research projects.
A partnership built on excellence
The TCOE brings together Sanofi’s scientific expertise and MIB’s research capabilities to accelerate the development of innovative therapeutic solutions.
A patient-centred approach
Early involvement of patients in research
A public-private partnership drawing on complementary expertise
Involvement of patient committees in project monitoring
"Establishing this Translational Centre of Excellence within MIB represents a strategic opportunity to accelerate and transform immunology research. Following the centre in Montpellier, this new structure strengthens France's position as a centre of excellence for R&D. This alliance combines Sanofi's strengths with those of the MIB ecosystem to create a model of collaboration between public research and the pharmaceutical industry. By bringing together clinical expertise, development capabilities and patient involvement at a very early stage, we aim to significantly reduce the time needed to make new therapeutic solutions available."
An alliance between a global biopharmaceutical company and an immunology ecosystem of excellence
This partnership supports Marseille Immunology Biocluster’s ambition to establish an integrated, leading ecosystem in immunology, bringing together key organisations from research, healthcare, innovation and industry around joint projects.
Supported by a consortium of 10 founding members (Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, Inserm, AP-HM, Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Brest University Hospital, Eurobiomed, SATT Sud-Est, OFU and Sanofi Group), along with two regional authorities, the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur Region and the Aix-Marseille-Provence Metropolitan Authority, MIB supports therapeutic innovation across the main fields of immunology: oncology, autoimmune diseases, inflammatory diseases and infectious diseases.
"The signing of this strategic partnership with Sanofi marks a major milestone in the development of Marseille Immunology Biocluster and in turning our ambition into reality. It demonstrates our ability to bring together leading organisations from research, healthcare and industry around joint projects to accelerate the translation of scientific discoveries into treatments for patients. With Sanofi, we are putting this model into practice by bringing researchers, clinicians and industry partners closer together, with the aim of reducing development times for innovative therapies and establishing Marseille as a leading centre for innovation in immunology."
ABOUT MARSEILLE IMMUNOLOGY BIOCLUSTER
Established in 2024 as part of the France 2030 initiative, Marseille Immunology Biocluster aims to accelerate immunology research by bringing together academic institutions, healthcare organisations, private industry and public authorities around advanced platforms and infrastructure, with the ambition of making Marseille a leading centre for immunology research in Europe.
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