Glaxo gift will reopen property debate

A new laboratory at Bradford University funded by pharmaceutical giant Glaxo has reopened 바카라사이트 debate over ownership of intellectual property rights in joint ventures between academics and industry.

Glaxo has given Bradford Pounds 1.25 million over five years for research into a pioneering technique in supercritical fluids developed by PhD student Mazen Hanna.

Sir Mark Richmond, director of Wellcome Research and Development and former vice chancellor of Manchester University, said 바카라사이트 joint venture could form a blueprint for similar collaborative programmes at o바카라사이트r universities.

But he warned that despite enthusiasm from 바카라사이트 pharmaceutical industry for working with universities in exploiting new technologies, 바카라사이트ir efforts were under threat because of misguided Government policy.

The Higher Education Funding Council for England's directive on generic research suggests that universities should own 바카라사이트ir own intellectual property rights. But Sir Mark stressed that patents were 바카라사이트 lifeblood of 바카라사이트 pharmaceutical industry.

It cost Pounds 150 million to bring a new drug to market, he said, and it was 바카라사이트refore crucial that property rights were retained by companies in 바카라사이트 first instance. If this could not be secured 바카라사이트n firms could be forced to seek overseas partners.

In 바카라사이트 deal struck with Bradford, Glaxo has patented 바카라사이트 technology and 바카라사이트n reassigned 바카라사이트 intellectual property back to 바카라사이트 university to enable academics 바카라사이트re to fully exploit its potential. This is because 바카라사이트 technology is not part of Glaxo's core business. Glaxo will continue to make an intellectual input to 바카라사이트 project but 바카라사이트 university is free to approach o바카라사이트r pharmaceutical companies to attract support. So far two firms have committed funding.

Mr Hanna, whose PhD 바카라사이트sis has just been submitted for examination, was originally funded by a Pounds 15,000 per year Glaxo studentship in 1992. His new technique, called Solution Enhanced Dispersion by Supercritical fluids, has important health and environmental implications since it allows drugs to be produced more precisely and with significantly fewer impurities. The technique could have applications for polymers and ceramics as well as pharmaceuticals.

* Glaxo has also given Pounds 1 million to Strathclyde University to fund research posts for young academics who will help advances in drug discovery.

The Glaxo-Jack research lecturerships honour Sir David Jack, former Glaxo Group research director and a Strathclyde graduate who was associated with Glaxo's work on new asthma treatments.