Protas, an independent not-for-profit organisation, designing and delivering large, global randomized clinical trials of treatments for common and other life-threatening diseases, has announced that Sanofi is its first strategic partner.

By combining smart randomized trial design with effective technology and a collaborative approach, like the one with Sanofi, Protas aims to encourage the development better treatments for conditions such as heart, lung and respiratory disease, arthritis, cancer, depression and dementia, and thereby improve patient care and public outcomes.

Protas will be led by the epidemiologist and physician, Professor Sir Martin Landray, who has over 20 years’ experience of leading large, randomized clinical trials as part of a team at Oxford University’s Nuffield Department of Population Health. Most recently, he has been leading the landmark RECOVERY clinical trial into treatments for Covid-19 which identified that treatment with the inexpensive steroid drug dexamethasone, improved the chances of survival for the most severe cases.

Protas will design and deliver large, inclusive randomized clinical trials, working in collaboration with industry partners, medical charities, patient groups, academic researchers, and frontline clinical teams. By conducting high quality trials at a fraction of current costs, Protas will radically readjust the economics of late-stage
randomized clinical trials. This will create opportunities for efficient clinical development of new treatments for common and other life-threatening diseases and provide benefits for patients and the health systems that care for them.

Sanofi has committed up to £5 million to Protas. The collaboration with Sanofi signifies a considerable investment in the UK’s Life Sciences sector and, along with other future strategic partners, has the potential to increase the pipeline of potential treatment options for a wide range of common and other life-threatening diseases.

Professor Sir Martin Landray, Chief Executive of Protas said: “We are delighted to be launching Protas today and announcing Sanofi as our first strategic partner. As we have seen during the recent pandemic, large randomized clinical trials are critical for the proper assessment of possible treatments. The situation is not to the pandemic; there are many other common and other life-threatening diseases – for example heart, lung and respiratory disease, arthritis, cancer, depression and dementia – where better treatments are needed to reduce the huge burden on patients and the NHS. But these trials need to be large, involve a diverse range of individuals, and produce robust answers to the most important questions.”

Dietmar Berger, Chief Medical Officer and Global Head of Development, Sanofi, said: “We are excited to be involved in the launch of Protas, as their first strategic partner. With this collaboration we are taking a bold to significantly reduce the cost of some of our clinical trials, focusing on what matters the most for patients, doctors, regulators and payers. In addition to a proven expertise, Protas offers a unique opportunity to anchor clinical research at the heart of patient care across the NHS, making participation as easy as possible and ensuring all health and care staff feel empowered to support research. “