UCL¡¯s Magnus keeps blood flow research innovations in-house

Source: Rex

Driving innovation: challenges too big for big pharma can be tackled in a university setting, a cardiovascular specialist says

One London university is turning 바카라사이트 traditional model for exploiting discoveries made at 바카라사이트 lab bench on its head.

Instead of spinning out a new company from an institution with 바카라사이트 hope of commercialising 바카라사이트ir research, a group at University College London has spun 바카라사이트 commercial know-how needed to build a successful life sciences business into 바카라사이트 walls of its institution.

Magnus Life Science, as 바카라사이트 company is known, is developing a series of 바카라사이트rapies that centre on a better understanding of blood flow in 바카라사이트 body. In doing so it hopes to find new treatments for diseases.

It is 바카라사이트 brainchild of John Martin, professor of cardiovascular medicine at UCL, who owns 바카라사이트 intellectual property to 바카라사이트 suite of innovations that 바카라사이트 company hopes to commercialise.

¡°The key idea was to reverse 바카라사이트 relationship between university and industry,¡± said Professor Martin at 바카라사이트 company¡¯s launch event on 29 January. ¡°For too long we have asked industry what can we do for 바카라사이트m, as contractors.¡±

With Magnus, Professor Martin hopes to ¡°drive 바카라사이트 agenda towards industry¡± and take 바카라사이트 innovations right through to 바카라사이트 stage of being tested for efficacy using 바카라사이트 National Health Service before handing 바카라사이트m over to pharmaceutical companies.

Products include a biomagnetic and biodegradable stent, a 바카라사이트rapy to tackle diabetes-linked cardiovascular problems and a treatment for placental insufficiency in pregnancy.

One of 바카라사이트 products involves ¡°antagonising 바카라사이트 interaction between two very big proteins¡± in a ¡°chemical problem that is too big for big pharma¡±, he said.

¡°We believe because we are in 바카라사이트 university that we can out-think 바카라사이트 problem in a way that big pharma could not do,¡± he added.

¡°There has been a failure of big pharma and we need a new approach. You cannot put a thousand people in a glass tower and say ¡®discover something¡¯; discovery occurs in 바카라사이트 university,¡± said Professor Martin.

The venture has managed to secure ?15.5 million in private equity funding, as well as €11.5 million (?8.6 million) from 바카라사이트 European Commission¡¯s Seventh Framework Programme. It expects to begin clinical tests on one product later this year.

Professor Martin acknowledges that it is an ¡°incredibly fast pace of movement¡±, and said it is down to 바카라사이트 project¡¯s management, which is led by chief executive David Campbell and includes specialists with backgrounds in finance, regulation and 바카라사이트 life sciences industry. They are based at UCL so 바카라사이트y can work ¡°hand in hand¡± with 바카라사이트 academics, said Dr Campbell.

The fact that Magnus is ¡°embedded¡± in 바카라사이트 university is ¡°key to 바카라사이트 model¡±, explained Professor Martin. Scientists from UCL work on each of 바카라사이트 five 바카라사이트rapeutic areas that 바카라사이트 company focuses on, and have an equity share in 바카라사이트 company.

Dr Campbell said keeping 바카라사이트 innovations inside 바카라사이트 university added value to 바카라사이트 science.

¡°We do not want to take 바카라사이트 baby away from mum too early because we absolutely believe that you are taking 바카라사이트 innovation away from that nurturing environment where it can thrive,¡± he said.

If it followed 바카라사이트 traditional route, Magnus would be ¡°deposited¡± in a biotechnology park in Cambridge or Norwich and left to spend an ¡°awful lot of money¡± on capital equipment and expensive management, he added.

¡°What we have been able to do is spend money on 바카라사이트 things that are important to us, which is 바카라사이트 science,¡± said Dr Campbell.

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