New appointment to accelerate discovery of patient-centred medicines

The new Medicines Discovery Catapult (MDC) is pleased to announce the appointment of Ed Owen to put medical research charities and patient groups at the heart of the development of new therapies in the UK.

Ed Owen

Ed was, until October, the Chief Executive of the Cystic Fibrosis Trust, one of the UK’s leading medical research charities. As Head of Engagement and Communications for the charity sector, he will be leading the MDC’s work to ensure the sector’s unique patient-centred insight, expertise and assets play a central role in new collaborative Syndicates focused on accelerating the discovery of patient-centred medicines in key disease areas.

Ed will also be responsible for the MDC’s wider strategic and engagement and communications work focused on bringing together all key partners in industry, public, academic and not-for-profit sectors. He will start his work with the MDC in December on a part time basis.

Since 2012, under his leadership as Chief Executive, the Cystic Fibrosis Trust has shaped and implemented an innovative research strategy, as well as undertaken significant development of the UK CF Registry. It has also established plans for a national clinical trials platform in cystic fibrosis that are now being introduced. Before working at the Trust, he was a strategic communications consultant and, between 1997 and 2005, a government adviser in the Home Office and Foreign & Commonwealth Office.

His appointment is part of the MDC’s wider commitment to a new patient-centred approach to drug discovery. It is seeking to create new, disruptive models of medicines discovery, reducing the time and cost of getting new therapies to people that need them.

Announcing the appointment, Chris Molloy, CEO of Medicines Discovery Catapult, said:

Tomorrow’s Medicines discovery will begin with the patient. It will be highly collaborative across the clinic, academia and industry and bring together fundable portfolios of projects around a single disease. The Catapult believes patient groups are at the heart of discovery and will work with as cornerstones of new disease Syndicates.

This is why we are so pleased to welcome Ed to our team. He brings a wealth of knowledge and understanding after years at the helm of one of the leading patient-based, medical research charities in the UK. His understanding and ability to engage reflect our ambition and commitment to the sector.

Ed Owen said:

I am passionate about the power of people to make change - and the voice of those in need of new therapies and treatments is no longer just a nice thing to have, it is a vital aspect of accelerating the development of new medicines and therapies.

Charities and patient groups have a unique insight into the needs, wishes and interests of the people they represent, as well as tremendous wider assets and relationships. By bringing this knowledge and expertise together with world-class industry and academic expertise with a clear focus on bringing new drugs more quickly to people that need them, the MDC can help make a big difference to people’s lives.

I am excited to be part of this exciting venture and can’t wait to get started.

Welcoming the news, Aisling Burnand, CEO of the Association of Medical Research Charities (AMRC) said:

I am delighted at Ed’s appointment. Charities have a huge role to play in developing new medicines. They fund great research, which in turn attracts further funding and influences policy and practice. In addition, they provide a valuable resource for researchers, funders and industry, with access to data, patients and expertise.

We want the UK to be the best possible environment for medical research, and the translation of that research into life-saving cures, and we are delighted that the Medicines Discovery Catapult recognises the vital contribution that charities can make and look forward to working with them to break down the barriers that cause delays in new medicines becoming available to patients.

The Medicines Discovery Catapult is one of eleven in a network of world-leading Catapult centres, created to transform the UK’s capability for innovation, and will support key strengths in pharmaceutical, biotechnology and contract research organisations, helping the UK maintain its heritage position as the global leader in the industry.  It will;

• Develop new technologies to improve success rates in pre-clinical and clinical evaluation
• Validate new informatics techniques that enable better prediction and scientific collaboration
• Explore new forms of financing to enhance investment in innovative new medicines
• Work with regulators to design efficient clinical trials to accelerate their progression into patients