Sanofi Announces Call for Submissions for Ignite: The Diabetes Ideas Challenge

AsiaNet 52734

PARIS, Apr. 16, 2013 /PRN=KYODO JBN/ --

    - Worldwide invitation to create and submit concepts for a potential

next-generation insulin delivery device

    Sanofi (EURONEXT : SAN and NYSE : SNY) announced today that it is accepting

submissions for Ignite: The Diabetes Ideas Challenge ("Ignite Challenge"). The

web-based Ignite Challenge invites patients, caregivers, designers, engineers,

and innovators from around the globe to submit ideas that could shape the

features and design of a next-generation, insulin delivery device for people

with diabetes. Building on the user experience and technology advances of the

past 30 years, the Ignite Challenge seeks to address the critical need for

innovative, easy-to-use and cost-effective devices for delivering injectable

medications for the treatment of diabetes.

    "Over time and across geographies, we observe a consistent increase in the

use of injectable medications among the more than 370 million people living

with diabetes," said Pierre Chancel, Senior Vice President, Global Diabetes,

Sanofi. "Through innovation challenges such as the Ignite Challenge, Sanofi

hopes to foster creative thinking and new ideas that may improve the way people

manage their diabetes in the future using patient-friendly and innovative

devices."

    Many people living with diabetes use insulin and an insulin delivery device

as part of their overall treatment plan, which may include other medications,

along with a healthy diet and exercise. The Ignite Challenge turns to

innovators to submit ideas that may advance the technology and design of

today's insulin delivery devices, while maintaining key factors including

reliability, ease of use and aesthetic appeal. The Ignite Challenge will award

ten winning submissions $5,000 each for their original ideas.

    Challenge concept submissions must meet the following three criteria:

    Accessibility - concept must be usable by a broad population, including the

young and old, or people with impaired hand use or vision.

Appropriateness - concept must be easy to integrate into daily life and be of

high quality. Device should be portable and aesthetically pleasing. It has to

be recognizable as an injection device, while not appearing overtly medical.

Functionality - Device must meet functional requirements as a medical tool,

should enable accurate delivery, have functionality for extended periods

without electricity, and the ability to store more than one dose of insulin per

disposable device.

    "Sanofi understands the importance of going beyond the molecule to help

people manage the complex challenges of diabetes," said Christoph Heinemann,

Vice President Strategy and Portfolio Management, Global Diabetes, Sanofi.

"While we are committed to our current and award-winning insulin delivery

device offerings, we understand the importance of exploring new, innovative

approaches that may take years to develop and test but that could provide

additional offerings to people living with diabetes."

    Over the past few years, innovation challenges have become an integral part

of Sanofi's commitment to diabetes care. This year marks the company's third

annual Data Design Diabetes(TM) Innovation Challenge in the U.S., which has a

three-part aim: innovation in the quality, delivery, and cost of diabetes care.

Sanofi U.S. also developed the Partners in Patient Health Collaborate -

Activate Innovation Challenge in 2012, which awarded teams that delivered novel

approaches to better engage patients in healthcare. The Ignite Challenge

continues this momentum by encouraging the development of solutions that show

potential to directly meet patients' needs.

    The full timeline for the Ignite Challenge is as follows:

    Open Submissions: April 8 - May 10

    The Ignite Challenge website [http://www.igniteideaschallenge.com/ ] is open

for submissions and will remain open until May 10, 2013.

    Submission Review and Judging: May 13 - May 24

    An expert panel of judges will review the Ignite Challenge submissions.

    Winner Announcements: May 30

    Ten winners will be announced and each awarded $5,000.

    About Sanofi Diabetes

    Sanofi strives to help people manage the complex challenge of diabetes by

delivering innovative, integrated and personalized solutions. Driven by

valuable insights that come from listening to and engaging with people living

with diabetes, the Company is forming partnerships to offer diagnostics,

therapies, services and devices, including intelligent blood glucose monitoring

systems. Sanofi markets both injectable and oral medications for people with

type 1 or type 2 diabetes.

    About Sanofi

    Sanofi, a global and diversified healthcare leader, discovers, develops and

distributes therapeutic solutions focused on patients' needs. Sanofi has core

strengths in the field of healthcare with seven growth platforms: diabetes

solutions, human vaccines, innovative drugs, consumer healthcare, emerging

markets, animal health and the new Genzyme. Sanofi is listed in Paris

(EURONEXT: SAN) and in New York (NYSE: SNY).

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking

statements are statements that are not historical facts. These statements

include projections and estimates and their underlying assumptions, statements

regarding plans, objectives, intentions and expectations with respect to future

financial results, events, operations, services, product development and

potential, and statements regarding future performance. Forward-looking

statements are generally identified by the words "expects", "anticipates",

"believes", "intends", "estimates", "plans" and similar expressions. Although

Sanofi's management believes that the expectations reflected in such

forward-looking statements are reasonable, investors are cautioned that

forward-looking information and statements are subject to various risks and

uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict and generally beyond the

control of Sanofi, that could cause actual results and developments to differ

materially from those expressed in, or implied or projected by, the

forward-looking information and statements. These risks and uncertainties

include among other things, the uncertainties inherent in research and

development, future clinical data and analysis, including post marketing,

decisions by regulatory authorities, such as the FDA or the EMA, regarding

whether and when to approve any drug, device or biological application that may

be filed for any such product candidates as well as their decisions regarding

labelling and other matters that could affect the availability or commercial

potential of such product candidates, the absence of guarantee that the product

candidates if approved will be commercially successful, the future approval and

commercial success of therapeutic alternatives, the Group's ability to benefit

from external growth opportunities, trends in exchange rates and prevailing

interest rates, the impact of cost containment policies and subsequent changes

thereto, the average number of shares outstanding as well as those discussed or

identified in the public filings with the SEC and the AMF made by Sanofi,

including those listed under "Risk Factors" and "Cautionary Statement Regarding

Forward-Looking Statements" in Sanofi's annual report on Form 20-F for the year

ended December 31, 2012. Other than as required by applicable law, Sanofi does

not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking

information or statements.

    SOURCE: Sanofi Diabetes