MSM Gets Sanofi Grant to Boost Diversity in Research
Sanofi investing $18 million over 10 years to increase diversity in clinical trials at MSM, Howard University College of Medicine and Meharry Medical College.
By Crystal Edmonson, Atlanta Business Chronicle
Paris-based pharmaceutical and health care company Sanofi will give $18 million to three historically Black medical schools, including Morehouse School of Medicine, with the goal of increasing diversity in clinical health studies.
The gift will be spread over 10 years and divided among Morehouse, Howard University College of Medicine and Meharry Medical College. Sanofi did not say if each school would get an equal amount of money, but instead said it will award funding based on each institution's needs during the next decade.
“More diversity in clinical studies will ensure traditionally underserved populations receive the very latest cutting-edge therapeutic innovations,” said Valerie Montgomery Rice, MD, FACOG, president and CEO of Morehouse School of Medicine, in a prepared statement.
The gift will be used to hire clinical research staff, build out infrastructure such as online chat services and pharmacy upgrades, and create customized training programs, according to a news release.
“By partnering with these three esteemed historically Black medical schools, we hope to facilitate new inroads to communities that have been underrepresented in health care for far too long. Increasing diversity and inclusion is essential to the research and development of medicines and vaccines for people of all backgrounds,” said Lionel Bascles, senior vice president and global head of clinical trials and operations at Sanofi, in a statement.
Morehouse School of Medicine will use the grant specifically for its Clinical Trial Center of Excellence.
Earlier this year, Morehouse School of Medicine received its largest donation from a single organization.
In August, Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Greenwood Initiative invested $175 million in Morehouse School of Medicine’s endowment.
The Greenwood Initiative is an effort to advance racial wealth equity, including addressing systemic underinvestment in Black institutions and communities, according to Bloomberg Philanthropies.