The first partnership agreement between Sanofi-Aventis and Genfit, signed in 1999, was focused on the discovery of innovative therapeutic targets for type 2 diabetes and vascular inflammatory diseases. AVE0897, a PPAR (Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor) agonist currently in Phase I clinical trials for diabetes treatment, is a result of this collaboration.
Today, after 10 years of joint efforts and four successive renewals, the therapeutic focus of this alliance has been extended with a third program aimed at discovering new treatments for neurodegenerative diseases.

This partnership was initiated in 2002 with Fournier Laboratories, and has continued since they joined the Solvay group in 2005. The collaborative research program, originally proposed by Genfit, is based on the identification and development of selective modulators for a nuclear receptor that plays a key role in the regulation of lipoprotein metabolism. Amongst more than 3500 molecules synthesized by the Fournier team, Genfit has fully characterized more than 100, allowing the Company to collect a first milestone.
The Solvay-Genfit collaboration was renewed in January 2007 for a three-year period, and is focused on the further development of compounds selected during the original partnership. A number of first-in-class molecules, acting on an entirely new therapeutic target, are in preclinical development at Solvay. One compound is currently in Phase I clinical trials and another is expected to enter Phase I during 2009. The current agreement also includes a second program concerning the validation of a new therapeutic target, and the selection of innovative drug candidates.

Initiated in 2004, the originality of the partnership with Servier is Genfit’s co-investment in the two collaborative research programs. These programs are dedicated to the treatment of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes, and are particularly focused on the characterization of two innovative targets, one of which is an orphan nuclear receptor.
The two companies have successfully advanced in the development of these targets with, in particular, the achievement of major steps towards their validation in the desired therapeutic indication. Genfit’s success in this collaboration has led to the payment of numerous milestones. Genfit and Servier have now extended their alliance and initiated drug discovery programs thanks to high-throughput screening strategies developed by Genfit.

During an eight-year collaboration with Merck, one of Genfit’s founder partners, the two companies identified and validated multiple targets for the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes and obesity.
Today, through a strategic agreement, Genfit has acquired the research program ‘MKG02’ initiated during the collaboration, and will use the results obtained during the partnership period to continue the development of the compounds that were identified and validated in the field of type 2 diabetes. This agreement follows the decision by Merck Serono to suspend research & development in the diabetes field.

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