First-of-its-kind consortium brings together advocacy and industry organizations to address efficiencies across disease types that have the potential to speed the development of medicines for patients.

Bridgewater, NJ, March 2, 2023. Sanofi has launched the Patient Advocacy Leaders and Drug Development Industry Network (Paladin) a first-of-its-kind Research and Development (R&D) Consortium, bringing together industry and US advocacy groups to accelerate medicines development regardless of disease.

Victoria DiBiaso

VP, Global Head Patient Informed Development & Health Value Translation at Sanofi

“We are thrilled to partner with an esteemed group of industry and patient advocacy organizations on this consortium, which was born out of our deep-rooted conviction for patient-centered R&D. Together, we have an opportunity to identify ways to reduce the time it takes to develop new medicines – bringing new treatments options to patients sooner and giving them hope for the future.”

Paladin aims to speed the pace of medicines development through jointly creating and building upon:

• Common foundations that improve industry and advocacy R&D-focused collaborations;
• Guidance and trainings for advocacy and industry representatives on how to implement patient- and caregiver-informed R&D approaches;
• Measures to improve diversity in clinical trials through best-practice sharing across industry;
• Awareness programming aimed at educating and connecting patients to clinical trials; and,
• Knowledge-sharing across therapeutic areas to reduce silos and maximize learnings.

The consortium initially will focus on four priority pillars: consensus-driven standards, skills and training, clinical trial participation, and transparent solutions. To ensure the recommendations are co-developed to reflect solutions relevant to all stakeholders, each of the groups addressing the pillars will be co-led by, and composed of, representatives from industry and advocacy.

Sara Loud

Chief Executive Officer, Accelerated Cure Project

“While many collaborations already incorporate the patient voice, we can do more to speed the pace of medicines development to make a real impact for patients. This consortium’s vision is important as we work to establish consensus-driven guidelines, resources and competencies to optimize how we work together in our shared mission.”

Tufts University’s Center for the Study of Drug Development will lead project management and facilitation for the consortium.

Kenneth Getz

Executive Director and Research Professor, Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development (CSDD), Tufts University School of Medicine

“This past decade, as the R&D pipeline continues to grow and target a wider range of diseases, there has been unprecedented demand for collaboration between patient advocacy groups and industry. Through this new consortium, we have a unique and much-needed opportunity to optimize the process for developing new medical therapies. We’re so grateful to be participating.”

Partner organizations

Sanofi is proud to partner with the following patient advocacy groups and industry organizations in launching the Consortium:

• Accelerated Cure Project
• Aimed Alliance
• Allergy & Asthma Network
• American Kidney Fund
• Astellas
• Black Health Matters
• Bristol Myers Squibb
• COPD Foundation
• Merck, known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada
• The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research
• National Alliance for Caregiving
• National Hemophilia Foundation
• Opus Genetics
• Sanofi
• Susan G. Komen®
• Tigerlily Foundation

The Consortium is open to industry, patient, and caregiver advocacy groups interested in helping to identify ways to transform the pace of medicines development.

For more information, please contact Patricia.Davidson@tufts.edu.