Academics and drug companies must work together to win funds for scientific research, says research director

Academics and drug companies must forge more productive relationships in the face of pressure from politicians and funders for more applied biomedical research, a research director has warned.

Against a projected backdrop of reduced funding for scientific research in 2010, Dr Duncan Richards, Clinical Director of the GSK Academic Discovery Performance Unit, will today (Wednesday 16 December 2009), urge both sides to find ways of building more trusting and mutually beneficial relationships in a special session on Translational Pharmacology at the British Pharmacological Society's Winter Meeting.

Dr Richards will Chair a session called 'Translational Pharmacology-Optimizing Academic / Industry Partnerships' with Dr Jim Hagan, CEO of the Global Medical Excellence Cluster.

The symposium will take a practical look at the mechanics of successful academic and industrial collaborations, involving the frontline professionals who need to make these relationships work in practise.

Speaking ahead of the session, which will bring together clinicians and scientists to debate different approaches, Dr Richards said: "The drive towards translational research is gaining momentum. Make no mistake, it is going to happen. The pressure is coming from politicians, from industry and from grant-giving bodies. It's going to be a major feature of the way biomedical research takes place in the UK for the next 10 years at least.

"We need to look at how we can make these research relationships work for everyone rather than these collaborations simply being, to quote others, a suppression of mutual loathing in pursuit of Government or industry cash.

"We need to ensure we are working together for a common purpose. There are good examples of collaborations that have worked well and we need to learn lessons from these.

"The caricature of academics in industry is that they only want your money, you give it to them, they don't deliver, they want more and more money and then they swan off and do their own thing.

"The corollary of this is that academics often feel as if they are treated as contract researchers to do a list of work directed by industry without the flexibility to bring their ideas to the table.

"As with most caricatures, there is some truth in them. But this way of thinking is not going to lead to successful partnerships and projects for the future.

"We need genuine collaboration to ensure both parties are involved in the direction and planning of work, particularly when it comes to the use of increasingly scarce research funding.

"In the past both sides haven't had meaningful conversations about what happens if the research project does not progress as planned - for example, unexpected findings or a change in priorities. A big part of the way forward is about being transparent and realistic from the start."

Professor Ray Hill, BPS President-Elect, has worked in both academic and industry sectors. He commented: "There have always been productive interactions between academic and industry researchers although I agree that in the past active relationship management has been lacking.

"There is no doubt that current government priorities are likely to open a window of opportunity for those who wish to intensify efforts in this area and that collaboration with both large and small companies will be encouraged as well as de novo drug discovery projects within academia."