The University of Dundee, in close collaboration with the Medical Research Council (MRC), announces renewal of a major collaboration with the pharmaceutical industry; meaning the largest research funding ever awarded to the University of Dundee.
The University's School of Life Sciences and the MRC have reached agreement with six of the world's major pharmaceutical companies (AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, GlaxoSmithKline, Merck Co., Inc. (of Whitehouse Station, N.J., U.S.A.), Merck KGaA (of Darmstadt, Germany) and Pfizer) to renew support of their research collaboration to facilitate the development of new drugs to fight cancer, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and other serious diseases. The companies will provide funding of more than £15 million over five years - almost double the amount awarded for the previous five years.
Researchers in the DSTT, based at the Wellcome Trust Biocentre, focus on two classes of enzymes, termed kinases and phosphatases, which have become some of the most important classes of drug target in the pharmaceutical industry. Broadening our understanding of how these enzymes regulate the body's function is helping to advance the development of drugs to treat many diseases, including cancer, diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis.
Sir Philip Cohen, Director of the MRC Protein Phosphorylation Unit and co-director of the Division of Signal Transduction Therapy said, "Dundee is the largest academic centre in Europe, if not the world, for the study of kinases and phosphatases. The availability of so many drug targets, reagents and 'know-how' in a single centre is a major reason why we have received this award. It shows how useful the technology we have developed has become to the pharmaceutical industry."
"I would also like to pay tribute to Dr Robert Ford of the University's Research and Innovation Services and Dr John Kelly, MRC Technology, London, who have spent an enormous amount of time and effort bringing negotiations to a successful conclusion. This new five year collaboration is something we can all be proud of and reflects the success of the previous five years. Six pharmaceutical companies working in collaboration with Dundee DSTT and MRC is an exciting and promising prospect for generating new healthcare products"
Professor Peter Downes, Dean of the Faculty of Life Sciences who also co-directs the DSTT, said, "This new award is all about turning world class "blue sky" research into new medicine. It also spells commercial success and the recognition of Tayside as a centre of excellence in biotechnology. Kinases and phosphatases are currently centre stage and the future demands a continuous stream of new ideas. Fortunately for Dundee there is a dynamic new generation of scientists, recruited from around the world to the School of Life Sciences, who are already on the case."
Martin MacKay, Senior Vice-President, Worldwide Discovery Research, Pfizer said "This productive collaboration continues to be an important element within Pfizer's network of research collaborations worldwide and we look forward to building on the excellent relationship that we have enjoyed with the University of Dundee during the last 5 years"
Dr Malcolm Skingle, Director, European Academic Liaison at GlaxoSmithKline commented, "We are delighted to be involved in another important collaboration involving scientists from industry and academia working towards a shared goal, that of increasing our understanding of human disease and finding new treatments for the patients that need them."
"Building strong relationships with academic institutions forms an important part of our R&D strategy. We are most pleased to continue this collaboration with the University of Dundee in a field of research that will be of vital importance to the discovery and development of efficient therapies for major diseases," said Dr Andreas Barner, head of Corporate Board Division Pharma Research, Development and Medicine at Boehringer Ingelheim worldwide.
Contact: Professor Peter Downes: 01382 345156
Angela Nicoll, Publicity Officer, School of Life Sciences: 01382 348377
By Jane Smernicki, Press Officer 01382 344768 j.m.smernicki@dundee.ac.uk