Manchester Uni teams up with GSK and AstraZeneca
THE University of Manchester has teamed up with drugs giants GlaxoSmithKline and AstraZeneca to launch a new research centre that will study inflammatory diseases such as asthma and arthritis.
The Manchester Collaborative Centre for Inflammation Research (MCCIR) has been funded with an initial investment of £5m from each partner to cover the next three years.
The university said it will bring together scientists from industry and academia to work collaboratively on inflammation research and translational medicine.
Scientists will be recruited for new positions to direct the research with the ultimate goal of translating findings into new and improved treatments.
Advances in this field could potentially benefit millions of people affected by diseases associated with chronic inflammation, such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease.
Professor Ian Jacobs, dean of the faculty of medical and human Sciences, said: “The university of Manchester welcomes greatly this opportunity to ensure that some of its fundamental biomedical research will become more closely aligned with the need to develop new therapies for inflammatory diseases.
“This collaboration builds on the mutual understanding developed between the university and both GSK and AstraZeneca over recent years, and will bring together expertise in biomedical research from the university with the resources and drug discovery expertise from GSK and AstraZeneca to create true partnership and synergy. It firmly establishes the UK and The University of Manchester at the forefront of innovative and enterprising research into inflammatory disease.”
The centre will be formally opened later this year.
