MRC Technology, a technology transfer charity and company, entered into a strategic drug discovery collaboration with the Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology (SIBCB), Chinese Academy of Science (CAS). The agreement will combine the SIBCB’s research expertise in generating potential new drug targets, with MRC Technology’s experience in further developing early-stage research for pharmaceutical application and commercialization. The focus of the collaboration is to fast-track innovative drugable targets to create potent and selective novel therapeutics.
“SIBCB is one of the world’s leading academic research institutions and the initiative reflects our joint commitment to delivering drugs for the treatment of diseases of global significance,” Dave Tapolczay, MRC Techology’s CEO commented. “The collaboration gives us a strong partner in China and access to potential new targets to further develop into drug therapies.”
In May, MRC Technology launched two collaborations with Mauro Perretti, Ph.D., at the William Harvey Research Institute, Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) to exploit G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) identified as effectors of endogenous resolution. Also, earlier this month, they received a £577,000 ($916,000) award from the Biomedical Catalyst to fund research into the role of cytokine IL-16 in Ischemic Reperfusion Injury (IRI), the tissue damage and ensuing inflammatory response resulting from a sudden loss of blood flow.