Lombardy: public-private partnership for the life sciences; Sanofi paves the way for new agreements

A new model of collaboration between public institutions and the pharmaceutical industry, with the aim of making Lombardy a centre for the integration of research, innovation and public health. This is the aim of the three-year memorandum of understanding signed by the Lombardy Region and Sanofi, the first of its kind signed by Palazzo Lombardia with a life sciences company. An agreement which, beyond the collaboration between the two signatories, could pave the way for similar agreements with other companies in the sector, as anticipated by the Regional Councillor for Welfare Guido Bertolaso.

The agreement, which entails no financial burden for the Region, establishes a framework for open and non-exclusive collaboration, intended to be developed through specific implementing agreements. Three areas have been identified: clinical research; technological and industrial innovation and transformation; and prevention. The aim is to bring together the scientific, healthcare and industrial expertise available in the region, thereby promoting the development of initiatives that also involve research centres and facilities within the regional healthcare system.

“This document represents a first step. We intend to develop similar partnerships with other organisations in the sector, in the belief that a constructive relationship, based on transparency and shared objectives, can bring tangible benefits to the whole Lombardy community,” explained Bertolaso. The councillor highlighted in particular the experience gained with Sanofi in the fight against bronchiolitis, citing it as an example of public-private collaboration. “The Lombardy Region and pharmaceutical companies operate, in different roles, within the same sphere: making innovation, research and increasingly effective medicines available to citizens in a timely manner, thereby improving quality of life and safeguarding health.”

For Sanofi, the signing also marks the recognition of a process of dialogue with regional institutions. “We are proud to be pioneers in the life sciences sector in signing an agreement of this kind with the Region,” said Marcello Cattani, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Sanofi Italia and Malta. Over the next three years, he added, the focus will be on translating the framework of the agreement into concrete projects in the fields of prevention and clinical, technological and industrial research.

The issue is not limited to the health sector alone. The presence of a pharmaceutical industry and a high-calibre research network also contributes to the region’s competitiveness, its ability to attract investment and the creation of highly specialised jobs. According to a study carried out by KPMG and presented by Sanofi, the company’s activities in Lombardy generate a total economic impact – direct, indirect and induced – of 158 million euros and support around 1,900 jobs across the supply chain. In terms of clinical research, 165 centres are involved, with 585 patients having taken part in 86 studies.