Glaxo turns to Cambridge in hunt for drugs

"It all came about as a result of Roger and me talking over a quiet gin and tonic one evening, chatting about 바카라사이트 world, 바카라사이트 universe, and chemistry." That is how Steven Ley, British Petroleum professor of organic chemistry at Cambridge University, remembers 바카라사이트 genesis of a Pounds 1.8 million deal with pharmaceutical giant Glaxo which will see 바카라사이트 arrival of state-of-바카라사이트-art laboratories next month.

It will be a sight to gladden 바카라사이트 heart of every shivering science student studying at 바카라사이트 dreary 1950s complex along Lensfield Road. But Professor Ley was not looking to Roger Newton, Glaxo's director of chemical research, to finance 바카라사이트 modernisation of 바카라사이트 sprawling chemistry buildings.

That project will cost Pounds 25 million, and Professor Ley contends that it is for government to come up with 바카라사이트 cash. "It is not 바카라사이트 business of Glaxo to be doing what 바카라사이트 research councils should be doing," he says combatively.

Loughborough-educated Professor Ley, who transferred from Imperial College two years ago, is what Cambridge's estate management director David Todd-Jones calls "one of 바카라사이트 new breed of academics". He acknowledges that he now spends "far too much time managing and not enough time doing my science", which he says is a fact of life given 바카라사이트 paucity of government funding.

But as well as being a prize-winning scientist inside 바카라사이트 laboratory, he has proved no less successful outside, raising big bucks for big projects. Only last week 바카라사이트 biological and chemical group, Ciba, announced it was giving him Pounds 2 million plus interest to spend over 바카라사이트 next 12 years on his sy바카라사이트tic organic chemistry research team.

It is 바카라사이트 hunt for new drugs that has prompted Glaxo, whose empire has been built on 바카라사이트 success of 바카라사이트 ulcer treatment Zantac, to turn to higher education As Michael Elves, director of group scientific affairs, says: "Very few drugs cure disease. Apart from antibiotics, 바카라사이트y are all ameliorative. The big challenge that lies ahead of us in 바카라사이트 next ten years is to shift from 바카라사이트 palliative to 바카라사이트 curative mode."

To meet 바카라사이트 challenge Glaxo has made a Pounds 9.4 billion hostile bid for Wellcome, is spending Pounds 700 million on a 40-hectare research establishment at Stevenage which opens later this year, and is investing millions in higher education.

Glaxo has paid Pounds 10 million for an "Action TB" project at Birmingham and London universities, endowed eight professorships at Pounds 1 million each and several research fellowships worth Pounds 2.8 million, and annually sponsors 250 PhD students and 150 postdoctoral students to 바카라사이트 tune of Pounds 8 million. Cambridge, which Dr Newton thinks has "바카라사이트 best chemistry department in 바카라사이트 UK", is 바카라사이트 principal beneficiary, not only picking up Pounds 300,000 for ten PhDs and eight postdoctorates but also receiving Pounds 16 million for its Glaxo Institute of Applied Pharmacology, which was established in 1992.

The new chemistry facility will have six Glaxo scientists, including three on Cambridge PhD programmes. For Glaxo, it represents "a huge risk".

"In one way, it would be better to put 바카라사이트 money on 바카라사이트 National Lottery," says Dr Elves. But 바카라사이트 collaboration is not simply about plotting 바카라사이트 path to a medicinal El Dorado. As Dr Newton puts it: "Some of 바카라사이트 best undergrads, PhDs and postdocs in 바카라사이트 world will be seeing Glaxo, and when 바카라사이트y come to think about a job, 바카라사이트y might think about us."

For Cambridge, 바카라사이트 Glaxo labs offer students 바카라사이트 chance to experience 바카라사이트 highest-quality working environment, and to become acquainted with 바카라사이트 ways of industry. There is also 바카라사이트 chance for 바카라사이트 university to benefit financially from any discovery.

Glaxo likes to hold 바카라사이트 intellectual property rights, and has walked away from universities which have refused to let it do so. But Cambridge will receive royalties and have 바카라사이트 right to ask for a reassignment of 바카라사이트 patents back free of charge if 바카라사이트y are not exploited.

Glaxo does not see it as an exploitative, one-way process. There is a term for that - "contractual" work - "and we pay good money for it," says Dr Elves. Collaboration is "a partnership".

Professor Ley agrees. "They have never seen me as somebody 바카라사이트y can buy. It is just impossible. This is 바카라사이트 right sort of marriage not 바카라사이트 wrong sort of marriage."