| New Tufts Report Shows Academic-Industry Partnerships Are Mutually Beneficial |
http://www.innovation.org/index.cfm/NewsCenter/Newsletters?NID=200
April 30, 2012 -
According to a new study by the Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development, collaboration among organizations is becoming increasingly important to advancing basic research and developing new medicines. This study specifically explores the breadth and nature of partnerships between biopharmaceutical companies and academic medical centers (AMCs)[1] which are likely to play an increasingly important role in making progress in treating unmet medical needs.
According to a new study by the Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development, collaboration among organizations is becoming increasingly important to advancing basic research and developing new medicines. This study specifically explores the breadth and nature of partnerships between biopharmaceutical companies and academic medical centers (AMCs)[1] which are likely to play an increasingly important role in making progress in treating unmet medical needs.
In
the study, researchers examine a subset of public-private partnerships,
including more than 3,000 grants to AMCs from approximately 450
biopharmaceutical company sponsors that were provided through 22 medical
schools. Findings show that while it is generally accepted that these
partnerships have become an increasingly common approach both to promote
public health objectives and to produce healthcare innovations, it is
anticipated that their nature will continue to evolve over time and
their full potential is yet to be realized.
Tufts
researchers also found that the nature of these relationships is
varied, ever-changing, and expanding. They often involve company and AMC
scientists and other researchers working side-by-side on cutting-edge
science, applying advanced tools and resources. This type of innovative
research has enabled the United States to advance biomedical research in
a number of areas, such as the development of personalized medicines
and the understanding of rare diseases.
The
report outlines the 12 primary models of academic-industry
collaborations and highlights other emerging models, which reflect a
shift in the nature of academic-industry relationships toward more risk-
and resource-sharing partnerships. While unrestricted research support
has generally represented the most common form of academic-industry
collaboration, Tufts research found that this model is becoming less
frequently used. A range of innovative partnership models are emerging,
from corporate venture capital funds to pre-competitive research centers
to increasingly used academic drug discovery centers.
These
collaborations occur across all aspects of drug discovery and the
partnerships benefit both industry and academia since they provide the
opportunity for the leading biomedical researchers in both sectors to
work together to explore new technologies and scientific discoveries.
Such innovation in both the science and technology has the potential to
treat the most challenging diseases and conditions facing patients
today.
According
to Tufts, “[t]he industry is funding and working collaboratively with
the academic component of the public sector on basic research that
contributes broadly across the entire spectrum of biomedical R&D,
not just for products in its portfolio.” In conclusion, the report notes
that in the face of an increasingly challenging R&D environment and
overall global competition, we are likely to witness the continued
proliferation of AMC-industry partnerships.
[1] C.P.
Milne, et al., “Academic-Industry Partnerships for Biopharmaceutical
Research & Development: Advancing Medical Science in the U.S.,”
Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development, April 2012.
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