Global pharmaceutical company LEO Pharma A/S and top biomedical research institute, The Scripps Research Institute have entered a research collaboration.
The collaboration between LEO Pharma and The Scripps Research Institute has been established at the nexus of fundamental natural product chemistry and biomedical research. Specifically, LEO Pharma has teamed up with renowned organic chemist Professor Phil Baran and his laboratory at The Scripps Research Institute. The aim of this collaboration is to develop practical synthetic routes to complex natural products of importance to treating skin diseases.
“We are delighted to enter into collaboration with Professor Baran’s group at The Scripps Research Institute. Collaborating with one of the world’s best universities gives LEO Pharma the chance to learn from the best and drive our innovation forward. Our goal is to share knowledge and achieve findings that can be directly applied to LEO Pharma’s research and development within dermatology”, says Tore Duvold, senior vice president of New Product Discovery, LEO Pharma A/S.
Professor Phil Baran, The Scripps Research Institute, is looking forward to the industry-academia collaboration: “Scripps and LEO Pharma have forged a unique relationship wherein basic science at the forefront of synthetic organic chemistry and natural products research is the primary mission for both parties. The specific natural products that LEO Pharma is interested in require deeply innovative strategies and new insights into chemical reactivity and this is precisely the science we are currently pursuing. The results of our research potentially have a great impact at LEO Pharma’s business within dermatology and this is particularly exhilarating for us all,” says Phil Baran.
LEO Pharma is an independent, research-based pharmaceutical company within the treatment areas of dermatology (psoriasis, skin infections and eczema) as well as prevention and treatment of thrombosis. A number of new products are being developed e.g. for treatment of the skin disorder actinic keratosis (initial stages of skin cancer caused by sun damage).
The Scripps Research Institute is one of the world's largest independent, non-profit biomedical research organizations. It is recognized for its discoveries in immunology, molecular and cellular biology, chemistry, neuroscience, and vaccine development, as well as for its insights into autoimmune, cardiovascular, and infectious disease.