Sanofi is advancing its global manufacturing and clinical pipeline on two fronts, with a new Middle East vaccine innovation partnership and a UK regulatory win for its type 1 diabetes immunotherapy.
New Vaccine Innovation Centre in Abu Dhabi
The Department of Health in Abu Dhabi (DoH) and Sanofi have signed a memorandum of understanding to jointly explore a Vaccine Innovation Centre in the emirate, intended to strengthen capabilities across AI-enabled vaccine discovery, mRNA research, clinical development and manufacturing.
The centre would sit within Abu Dhabi's Health, Endurance, Longevity and Medicine (HELM) Cluster, which connects research, investment, commercialisation and healthcare delivery within a single ecosystem.
Dr Noura Al Ghaithi, Undersecretary of the DoH, said the partnership will bring together AI, scientific research, clinical expertise, manufacturing and regulation to accelerate the journey from discovery to impact.
Baptiste de Clarens, Sanofi's General Manager Vaccines for the Greater Gulf, added: "We are proud to deepen our collaboration with the DoH."
Vaccine innovation today is being reshaped by artificial intelligence, by advances in mRNA science and by new models that connect discovery, development and manufacturing.
"We look forward to exploring how these capabilities can be brought together to accelerate the journey from discovery to the patients."
The announcement was made at the BIO International Convention 2026, where Abu Dhabi is showcasing its wider life sciences ecosystem spanning genomics, gene editing and advanced therapeutics.
NICE backs teplizumab
In the UK, NICE has issued final draft guidance recommending NHS reimbursement for teplizumab, a humanised anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody and the first licensed disease-modifying treatment to delay the onset of stage 3 type 1 diabetes (T1D) in patients aged eight and older with stage 2 disease.
Subject to final guidance, the therapy is expected to reach eligible patients within 60 days in Wales and 90 days in England.
The recommendation follows the UK government's April 2026 uplift to NICE's QALY cost-effectiveness threshold, designed to widen NHS access to innovative treatments.
Clinical evidence included the pivotal TN-10 study, in which a single 14-day course of teplizumab delayed the median time to progression to stage 3 T1D by roughly two years compared with placebo.
An estimated 35,000 people aged under 19 in the UK live with the condition and Sanofi-funded research found 38% of people with T1D had needed an A&E visit in the past year.
Ahmed Moussa, Sanofi's UK and Ireland country lead, said the decision marks a shift toward early intervention that could reduce traumatic, DKA-linked diagnoses.
"By identifying at-risk individuals earlier, we can help prevent DKA through proactive glucose monitoring and timely intervention."
Aligning to the NHS’s 10-year health plan, we are committed to working with the NHS and the entire T1D community to not only ensure rapid access to this and future therapies but also to help build the vital infrastructure that will truly change the paradigm of care for type 1 diabetes in the UK.
Dr Nick Thomas, a clinical lecturer in diabetes and endocrinology, called it a step change, enabling clinicians to modify disease course for the first time, giving patients valuable time to prepare before symptom onset.
