Genzyme, a Sanofi company, has entered a research collaboration with Cleveland Clinic to develop new therapeutic approaches to treat MS. The collaboration will align the research efforts of both organizations around projects designed to address the unmet medical needs in MS, particularly progressive forms of the disease.
 
The collaboration will initially focus on projects to address neurodegeneration and novel technologies to better understand the pathology of the disease. The collaboration will be led by a joint steering committee and will span at least five years.
 
“As leaders in MS we want to advance and build a sustainable pipeline of novel therapeutic approaches, and our collaboration with Cleveland Clinic, along with our internal R&D efforts, reinforce Genzyme’s long-term commitment to the MS community,” said David Meeker, president and chief executive officer, Genzyme. “We are excited to work collaboratively with a premier research and health care institution that has made many important contributions to better understanding this complex and devastating disease.”
 
“This collaboration will allow for the development of innovative approaches to evaluate potential new therapies for progressive MS,” said Dr. Jeffrey Cohen, M.D., director of the Experimental Therapeutics Program at the Mellen Center for Multiple Sclerosis.