The Medical Research Council (MRC) and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) have announced the creation of a jointly funded programme seeking to identify and validate genes associated with common human diseases. A key aim of the programme will be to translate these observations into new drug targets and biomarkers of disease.
The MRC and GSK will each invest £1 million in the programme over the next three years, which will pilot a new way of collaborative working between the two organisations. It will bring together academic and industrial expertise and resources in areas of mutual interest through joint funding and sharing from large databases and sample collections held by the partners. The collaboration will speed the translation of genetic insights into new concepts for therapy and other benefits for patients.
Projects funded through the programme will bring together MRC and GSK resources to study the role of genes in common human diseases through genetic association studies. This approach of combining data sets is increasingly recognised as necessary in order to increase the statistical robustness of studies and to enable the definitive identification of genes at the root of a disease. As part of the collaboration, GSK will make extensive data acquired from large disease-related and population-based genetic studies available. The GSK collections have considerable potential to better link genetic traits to detailed variations in phenotypes.
Sir Leszek Borysiewicz, Chief Executive of the Medical Research Council, said: “This type of project is a testament to the collaborative working relationship which exists between public and private research in the UK and allows both to thrive. By making the most of existing investments, the MRC can support the very best research into the patterns and causes of disease. Collaborating to produce larger cohorts and hence more statistically significant results, will allow us to identify genetic and other contributors to disease more quickly and maximise benefits for future patients.
Dr Patrick Vallance, Senior Vice President, Drug Discovery, GaxoSmithKline, said: “The genetics of human diseases has come of age and GSK wants to make the most of current knowledge and research to significantly impact treatment options. We have worked hard to collect and refine our data but we now need to take a bold step forwards and work with others to uncover the new disease targets and genetic variations that are useful to inform drug discovery and development. GSK is looking forward to pioneering this novel and exciting working partnership with the MRC which we believe models openness and collaboration. We hope other industry groups will see the power of pooling knowledge in this way and consider how they too can work productively with academic partners. Lon Cardon is GSK's new head of Genetics who will lead for GSK on this collaboration.”