The Hamner Institutes signs formal Memorandum of Understanding with Oslo Cancer Cluster

The Hamner Institutes at Research Triangle Park has signed a formal Memorandum of Understanding with the Oslo Cancer Cluster in Oslo, Norway, one of the leading cancer clusters in Europe. The goal of the collaboration is to strengthen The Hamner's Global BioScience Gateway for Translational Research and Business Development, which began with partnerships in China.  Through its partnership with the Oslo Cancer Cluster, the expanded Global Biosciences Gateway will now enable companies and comprehensive cancer centers to speed development of new cancer therapies.  The collaboration will create an infrastructure in North Carolina and Oslo for efficient drug discovery, high quality oncology clinical trials, and access to drug safety and regulatory experts that can address FDA, EMEA and eventually the Chinese SFDA.

Specific initiatives of The Hamner-Oslo collaboration will focus on translational research, business development, and training and education.  The Hamner will provide access to its wide network of research collaborators including three Comprehensive Cancer Centers located in North Carolina, the Shanghai Center for Disease Control, and Tianjin Institute for Hematology.  Training and education will include post-doctoral training in innovative drug safety technologies, business training for entering the U.S. market, and regulatory training for compliance with FDA standards. Oslo will bring its highly regarded research and Phase I resources, and potential future access to its own growing European network of collaborators, which includes Heidelberg, Lund, Toulouse, Barcelona and Madrid.  

Additionally, The Hamner Accelerator will facilitate the launch of Norwegian bioscience companies – currently numbering among some of the leading innovators in Europe entering the U.S. market.  The trilateral collaboration among The Hamner, the Oslo Cancer Cluster and China will serve as a vital portal for the pharmaceutical industry to access new discoveries and resources in oncology.

"We passionately believe that this partnership with The Hamner will enable companies and comprehensive cancer centers to speed development of new cancer therapies through global partnerships," said Bjarte Reve, CEO of the Oslo Cancer Cluster. "Over the last few years, we have already taken great strides in Europe to bring together such clusters, with concrete results, such as a Phase 1 network and joint EU-IMI submissions. This partnership with The Hamner is a logical next step to forge stronger links with the U.S. and also to complement our existing initiatives in China."

"The partnership with the Oslo Cancer Cluster, a world leader in cancer research and technology development, is a key link in a shared Global Biosciences Gateway and strategy to accelerate the development of new cancer therapeutics worldwide," said William Greenlee, CEO of The Hamner. "The ability we now have to identify and capture cutting-edge cancer research in Europe and China will not only benefit patients, but also will be an important driver for business and economic development in our respective countries."