Sundays reading :)13 Jan 2019 07:55
'This collaborative approach is especially pertinent for the exploration of novel drug combinations and multi-partner combination studies, points out Masterson. Indeed, the CRUK-supported Combinations Alliance works with both industry and researchers to translate academic research into early-stage combination clinical trials. “Those multi-partner combination studies are going to be increasingly important, particularly with the interest in I-O (immuno-oncology) at the moment,” Masterson adds.'
CRUK’s alliance model, and the work of its Commercial Partnerships team more broadly, aligns with the growing emphasis on externally-sourced innovation in the pharma industry. “There has been a trend in the last decade towards more open innovation – more collaboration between the pharma industry, biotech industry and academia, more porous boundaries, more [pharma companies] externalising innovation and sourcing ideas from outside of their own R&D unit,” says Hickson. “I think we are going to see more growth in this area, and Cancer Research UK has a powerful and important role to play in the oncology space as both a funder of research and convener of interested parties around assets, ideas, and alliances.”
This unique positioning also allows CRUK to tackle particularly challenging areas in oncology and to progress programmes that may be viewed as less commercially attractive. Through its Clinical Development Partnerships scheme, CRUK takes promising assets into clinical development when companies are unable to do so themselves. “[This scheme] is about being able to identify deprioritised agents that the company doesn’t have the bandwidth to progress, but which have potential patient benefit,” explains Masterson. “In those situations, we are able to bring [the agents] in, our Phase 1 Clinical Trial Unit runs the trial, and the company then has the option to take those trial results forward themselves. If they elect not to take up the option, we pick up the rights to that asset and are able to drive forward the development ourselves with a revenue share back to the company.”
https://www.lsxleaders.com/blog/cancer-research-uk-partnering-to-accelerate-cancer-research-translation-and-commercialisation
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