News Sanofi Genzyme and Johns Hopkins Partner on MS Research Projects into Disease Progression Sanofi Genzyme and Johns Hopkins Partner on MS Research Projects into Disease Progression by Patricia Silva, PhD | May 18, 2016 Share this article: Share article via email Copy article link Sanofi GenzymeĀ announced that it entered into a research collaborationĀ withĀ the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine to betterĀ understand the underlying causes of disease progression in multiple sclerosis (MS). Sanofi GenzymeĀ has a number of research partnerships withĀ MS academic medical centers, focused on exploring the pathogenesis of MS and potential new therapies. Projects include the identification of biomarkers of disease progression, and the development of strategies to address neurodegeneration, which is thought to be a key factor for MS disability accumulation. The collaborationĀ will be guided by a joint committee of representatives from Sanofi Genzyme and the Johns Hopkins Multiple Sclerosis Center ā one of the largest clinical and research MS centers worldwideĀ āĀ to leverage technologies and methodologies specifically designed to advanceĀ new therapeutic approaches to treat MS progression. āWhile there are currently no approved treatments for progressive forms of MS, the research landscape is evolving to where we are learning more about the underlying biology of disease progression,ā Michael Panzara, MD,Ā Sanofi Genzymeās head of MS, Neurology and Ophtalmology Therapeutic Area, Global Development, saidĀ in a press release. āCollaborations like this are important to advancing interventional strategies that slow relentless progression in MS. We are excited about the potential of this collaboration to advance our understanding of disease progression, enabling more rapid development of the next generation of MS therapies.ā MS is a progressive, debilitating, immune-mediated neurodegenerative disease, in which the myelin sheath ā the insulation covering all neurons ā in the central nervous system becomes damaged due to inflammation. In MS, the bodyās own immune system attacks myelin, disturbing and progressively destroying the conduction of nerve impulses, which can ultimately lead to complications such as impaired vision, and loss of balanceĀ andĀ of control over voluntary muscles. MS is estimated to affect 2 million to 2.5 million people worldwide, with women affected two or three times as often as men. Sanofi Genzyme is one of five global business units of its parent company,Ā Sanofi, with aĀ focus on specialty care and difficult to treat diseases. Print This Page About the Author Patricia Silva, PhD PatrĆcia holds a PhD in medical microbiology and infectious diseases from the Leiden University Medical Center, Netherlands, and completed a postdoctoral research fellowship at the Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Lisbon, Portugal. Her work in academia was mainly focused on molecular biology and the genetic traits of infectious agents such as viruses and parasites. PatrĆcia earned several travel awards to present her work at international scientific meetings. She is a published author of several peer-reviewed science articles. Tags disease progression, MS therapies, Sanofi Genzyme
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