Shenzhen Medical Academy of Research and Translation (SMART) and Shenzhen Bay Laboratory (SZBL) today officially signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Sanofi to jointly establish the "SMART-SZBL-Sanofi Strategic Science and Innovation Alliance" (SSSIA). This signing marks a new chapter in deep industry-academia-research collaboration among the three parties, with the shared goal of delivering more innovative therapeutic options to patients in China and around the world.

At the signing ceremony, Huan Tu, Vice President of SMART and Deputy Director of SZBL, represented the two institutions, and Dr Lei Tang, Head of Translational Medicine, R&D, Sanofi China, represented Sanofi, as the primary signatories formally executed the agreement. Nieng Yan, Founding President of SMART and Director of SZBL, and Ting Deng, Head of Regulatory Affairs and R&D Lead, Sanofi Greater China, witnessed the entire ceremony, jointly inaugurating this new tripartite strategic partnership.

This collaboration aims to deepen industry-academia-research synergies by establishing a strategic cooperation platform that bridges corporate R&D systems with leading academic institutions, thereby facilitating the full-spectrum translation of innovative therapies from fundamental research to clinical application. The three parties will leverage their respective core strengths in scientific research, technological platforms, and industrial translation to jointly build an open, collaborative, and efficient innovation ecosystem.

Key Therapeutic Focus Areas

The alliance will concentrate on the research and development of innovative therapies for inflammation and autoimmune diseases, with particular emphasis on the following indications:

 • Rare diseases  

 • Neurology  

 • Oncology  

 • Transplantation-related diseases

 • Type 1 diabetes  

 • Autoimmune diseases

Six Pillars of Collaboration

SSSIA will pursue comprehensive and in-depth cooperation across the following six pillar domains:

1. 1. Translational Research – Systematically advancing fundamental scientific discoveries toward clinical application.

2. 2. Clinical Research – Conducting joint clinical studies to accelerate the validation and deployment of novel therapeutics.

3. 3. Technology Platform Sharing – Integrating complementary advanced technology platform resources to maximize synergies.

4. 4. Commercial Translation and Industrialization – Exploring pathways and mechanisms for the commercialization of scientific research outcomes.

5. 5. Joint Talent Development – Establishing co-training programs to cultivate a pipeline of interdisciplinary innovative research talent.

6. 6. Incubator and Accelerator – Supporting early-stage project incubation to expedite the transition from laboratory to market.

President Nieng Yan stated that this partnership represents a deep convergence of the innovation chain and industrial chain, signaling the proactive integration of both institutions into the global biomedical innovation landscape, with the ambition to position the Greater Bay Area as China's "third hub" of biomedical innovation. Anchored by the Guangming Science City, the parties will continue to strengthen source innovation and international synergy, accelerate the alignment of local R&D with global regulatory and scientific standards, and contribute Chinese solutions to global health, marking a substantive step forward in Shenzhen's quest to become a life sciences innovation hub.

Huan Tu, Vice President of SMART and Deputy Director of SZBL, stated in her address: "SMART and SZBL share a common vision: to push the frontiers of scientific discovery while remaining steadfastly oriented toward patient needs—translating scientific breakthroughs into therapies that truly improve patients' lives. To realize this vision, we are actively exploring an integrated industry-academia-research collaboration model in which clinical needs drive scientific discovery, fundamental research fuels drug innovation, and industrial partners deliver the final products to patients. Sanofi possesses globally leading capabilities in drug R&D, clinical development, and industrialization. We look forward to establishing a long-term, open, and efficient collaboration mechanism with Sanofi, where our complementary strengths accelerate early-stage innovation projects from bench to bedside and ultimately benefit patients in China and worldwide."

Ting Deng, Head of Regulatory Affairs and R&D Lead, Sanofi Greater China, commented: "Sanofi is committed to deeply integrating its global R&D capabilities with China's local innovation resources. We have been deeply impressed by the outstanding scientific caliber of SMART and SZBL. This newly established SSSIA, focusing on rare diseases, neurology, oncology, transplantation-related conditions, type 1 diabetes, and autoimmune diseases, represents a key strategic move in Sanofi's efforts to deepen triple-helix in China. We look forward to working hand-in-hand to drive full-chain innovation from basic research to clinical translation, jointly fostering a more efficient and sustainable biomedical innovation ecosystem in China."

The official launch of SSSIA marks a landmark initiative for SMART and SZBL in accelerating the industrialization of research outcomes and advancing high-level international collaboration in the life sciences. At the same time, it constitutes a significant milestone for Sanofi in deepening its engagement with China's innovation ecosystem and advancing its "science-driven, patient-first" strategy. With this signing as a new starting point, the three parties will fully integrate their resources and strengths to accelerate tangible outcomes in the inflammation and autoimmune disease space, jointly exploring next-generation therapeutic approaches to deliver breakthrough treatment options for patients both in China and globally.

About Shenzhen Medical Academy of Research and Translation (SMART)

Shenzhen Medical Academy of Research and Translation (SMART) is an innovative research institution established by the Shenzhen Municipal Government, with a core mission to advance medical scientific research and clinical translation. It aims to build a world-class hub for medical innovation. SMART brings together leading medical scientists from around the globe, focusing on fundamental research and translational applications in major diseases, and actively exploring collaborative models of industry-academia-research-medicine integration to contribute to the high-quality development of healthcare in Shenzhen and across China.

About Shenzhen Bay Laboratory (SZBL)

Shenzhen Bay Laboratory (SZBL) is a provincial-level key laboratory in Guangdong Province, focusing on cutting-edge fields such as chemical biology and novel drug discovery, life informatics and biomedical engineering, and cell and gene technologies. It is dedicated to establishing an internationally renowned research platform for life sciences and biomedicine. SZBL has assembled a cohort of distinguished scientists, both domestic and international, and pursues major scientific questions to drive the deep integration of fundamental research and applied translation, providing core scientific and technological support for the life sciences industry in the Greater Bay Area and nationwide.

About Sanofi

Sanofi is a research-driven, AI-empowered biopharmaceutical company dedicated to chasing the miracles of science to improve people's lives and achieving robust growth. As one of the first multinational companies to enter China following its reform and opening-up, Sanofi established its office in China in 1982 and now maintains an end-to-end value chain spanning R&D, manufacturing, and commercial operations, including three production sites and four R&D hubs, with businesses covering pharmaceuticals and vaccines.  Sanofi partners with China, committed to accelerating access to innovative medicines and vaccines for Chinese people, while creating a better life for partners, communities, and employees.