Wyeth Pharmaceuticals Announces Scottish Collaboration to Enhance Translational Medicine Research
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Wyeth Pharmaceuticals and the Health Ministry of Scotland have announced in Edinburgh the creation of the Translational Medicine Research Collaboration (TMRC).
The TMRC will comprise the four major medical universities in Scotland (Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow), Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, Scottish Enterprise and the National Health Service (NHS). Wyeth is investing almost $86 million toward this initiative.
Translational medicine is a new field that integrates the study of the elements of disease with the development of novel therapies and diagnostics. A goal of these studies is the identification of "biomarkers" or specific signals within patient populations that can be used to select the best therapy for an individual patient.
An important outcome of the work of the TMRC is speedier, more efficient and more effective clinical testing of new therapies where a candidate drug is studied in smaller, better defined patient groups.
Wyeth is a recognized leader in developing drugs in a number of disease areas including oncology, musculoskeletal biology, metabolic diseases and Alzheimer's disease. The Company spent more than $2.7 billion on Research and Development in 2005 and has assumed a leadership role in Translational Medicine, bridging the gap between basic pre-clinical drug discovery and the clinic.
The TMRC model will be based on a central core laboratory working with "Centers of Excellence" at each of the universities. The laboratory will be based at the University of Dundee. The laboratory will interact with the "Centers of Excellence" at each of the universities' medical schools where specialized clinical research programs will be implemented.
"This translational medicine research collaboration represents a truly novel concept in industry-academic-government partnership. Translational medicine is a key success factor to development of the next generation of innovative medicines," says Frank Walsh, Ph.D., Executive Vice President, head of Wyeth Discovery Research.
Jack Perry, Chief Executive of Scottish Enterprise, says, "Translational medicine provides a major opportunity to reduce the bottlenecks in the development of new drug treatments, resulting in significant benefits in economic development and health."
The TMRC will comprise the four major medical universities in Scotland (Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow), Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, Scottish Enterprise and the National Health Service (NHS). Wyeth is investing almost $86 million toward this initiative.
Translational medicine is a new field that integrates the study of the elements of disease with the development of novel therapies and diagnostics. A goal of these studies is the identification of "biomarkers" or specific signals within patient populations that can be used to select the best therapy for an individual patient.
An important outcome of the work of the TMRC is speedier, more efficient and more effective clinical testing of new therapies where a candidate drug is studied in smaller, better defined patient groups.
Wyeth is a recognized leader in developing drugs in a number of disease areas including oncology, musculoskeletal biology, metabolic diseases and Alzheimer's disease. The Company spent more than $2.7 billion on Research and Development in 2005 and has assumed a leadership role in Translational Medicine, bridging the gap between basic pre-clinical drug discovery and the clinic.
The TMRC model will be based on a central core laboratory working with "Centers of Excellence" at each of the universities. The laboratory will be based at the University of Dundee. The laboratory will interact with the "Centers of Excellence" at each of the universities' medical schools where specialized clinical research programs will be implemented.
"This translational medicine research collaboration represents a truly novel concept in industry-academic-government partnership. Translational medicine is a key success factor to development of the next generation of innovative medicines," says Frank Walsh, Ph.D., Executive Vice President, head of Wyeth Discovery Research.
Jack Perry, Chief Executive of Scottish Enterprise, says, "Translational medicine provides a major opportunity to reduce the bottlenecks in the development of new drug treatments, resulting in significant benefits in economic development and health."