The UK research community will soon have access to world-class medical imaging facilities in London with the signing of an agreement between an alliance of leading London-based universities, the Medical Research Council (MRC) and the pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline (GSK).
In a unique partnership, the MRC, Imperial College London, King’s College London and UCL become equal shareholders in a newly created joint venture that assumes responsibility for the facilities and operations at GSK’s Clinical Imaging Centre (CIC).
The £47m centre on Imperial College London’s Hammersmith Hospital campus has carried out GSK-dedicated research in close collaboration with academic researchers since it opened in 2007. Under the new arrangements, the research and technical expertise of the four partners will help to drive the centre into new areas and applications of imaging.
“This new joint venture creates a framework for collaborative science across academia, pharmaceutical and biotechnology organisations. The three universities, with the MRC, will work in cooperation with GSK to establish the facility as the UK’s leading clinical imaging centre which will play a vital role in accelerating the translation of biomedical research into healthcare and economic benefits,” said Dr Jim Hagan, CEO of Global Medical Excellence Cluster (GMEC).
GMEC – a public private partnership dedicated to building the UK’s research biomedical research capabilities and enhancing the UK’s competitive position - worked closely with the three academic partners and the MRC to develop and deliver this new operating model.
Minister for Universities and Science David Willetts said: “Throughout these difficult economic times we need to find innovative ways of ensuring UK bioscience maintains its leading edge. This agreement with GSK will enable the MRC to run a world class facility with three top London institutions, giving them access to state of the art equipment and benefitting researchers across academia and industry.”
Under the terms of agreement, the centre’s operations and staff are expected to transfer to the newly formed joint venture in the third quarter of the year. GSK has committed to remain closely involved with the facility and has agreements with the joint venture to support its long-term engagement in drug discovery and imaging research.
Professor Steve Smith, Pro Rector for Health at Imperial College London and Chief Executive of Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, said: “Imperial staff have been benefiting from the excellent facilities at the Clinical Imaging Centre since it opened in 2007, so we’re delighted to be able to expand our research there. The new agreement will allow us to continue to make strides in areas such as neuroscience, cancer, and cardiovascular disease, which should ultimately lead to better treatments for patients. Our new joint venture is a great example of how universities can collaborate with each other and with industry and the NHS to improve healthcare.”
Dr Alison Campbell OBE, director of Innovation, King's College London, said: “The establishment of the joint venture is another example of King’s commitment to open innovation. Working in a dynamic partnership with GSK, we have maintained our vision of creating a national centre of research excellence in imaging that will allow industry to work alongside academic researchers to deliver new and improved healthcare.”
Sir John Savill, Chief Executive of the MRC, said: “The MRC is delighted to be involved in this exciting new collaboration in Translational Medicine, bringing together three world class universities and GSK to provide researchers across the UK with an outstanding opportunity to understand disease and therapy non-invasively.”
Professor Sir John Tooke, Vice Provost (Health) at UCL, said: “This is a unique alliance, bringing together a formidable range and level of expertise from each of the partners. All of us do a great deal in this field already - UCL has a number of world-renowned imaging groups - but coming together means we can do even more, making advances in clinical imaging which will have a real impact on human health and disease.”
Dr Patrick Vallance, Head of Medicines Discovery and Development at GSK said, “This agreement is further evidence of the industry shifting towards a more open model of working. Combining the knowledge and expertise that each party brings to the new centre will foster innovation in this exciting area of research, and the industry as a whole stands to benefit from these new imaging opportunities.”
Modern imaging technology allows the study of disease processes in fine detail and to measure the action of medicines in human organs such as the brain and heart. Its unparalleled sensitivity allows interactions to be probed at the molecular level. PET imaging is already widely used as a cancer diagnostic and is increasingly being used in research to develop new treatments in cancer, heart and brain disorders and inflammation.
GlaxoSmithKline – one of the world’s leading research-based pharmaceutical and healthcare companies – is committed to improving the quality of human life by enabling people to do more, feel better and live longer.
The Global Medical Excellence Cluster (GMEC) - is a not-for-profit company formed in 2007 and is the largest healthcare cluster in Europe. It brings together leading universities, companies and NHS Trusts to build the capabilities to keep the UK globally competitive in biomedical research and attract inward investment.
Imperial College London is rated amongst the world's best universities, Imperial College London is a science-based institution with a reputation for excellence in teaching and research that attracts 14,000 students and 6,000 staff of the highest international quality. Innovative research at the College explores the interface between science, medicine, engineering and business, delivering practical solutions that improve quality of life and the environment - underpinned by a dynamic enterprise culture.
The Medical Research Council has improved the health of people in the UK and around the world by supporting the highest quality science. The MRC invests in world-class scientists. It focuses on making an impact and provides the financial muscle and scientific expertise behind medical breakthroughs, including one of the first antibiotics penicillin, the structure of DNA and the lethal link between smoking and cancer.