Shedding more light together on pharma research

The spatial structure of the biomolecules is needed for the optimization of active substances in pharmaceuticals. With a circumference of 288 m, the Swiss Light Source (SLS) is actually a gigantic x-ray machine fitted with a huge microscope that now counts among the most modern and powerful "third generation" synchrotron beamlines in Europe. No less impressive than its dimensions is the fact that this project was implemented and financed by three very different international partners. Whereas the pharmaceutical giants, Novartis and Roche, each contributed one quarter of the capital required, Germany's Max-Planck-Gesellschaft picked up the remaining 50 percent of the tab. All three investors hope to be able to use the new equipment to examine the structure of target proteins for a wide range of diseases, including cancer, arthritis, type II diabetes and AIDS
This joint venture on the part of big pharma and an independent research institute is a highly promising model for the future. Many smaller projects would profit from the involvement of a third party as well, namely a biotech start-up that could serve as a link between the research institute and big pharma. John D. Mendelein, CEO of the Canadian biotech company, Affinium Pharmaceuticals, knows from experience that such joint ventures are a win-win scenario. When his company entered into a long-term cooperation agreement with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and Pfizer, for example, it was assured not just funds but also access to the vast research capacities of both GSK and Pfizer. Another good example for this kind of agreement is the collaboration between Morphosys and Schering. Originally signed in 2001 the two companies extended their agreement for two more years, until the end of 2006. The original objective of the collaboration was to develop therapeutic antibodies and in vivo diagnostics, particularly in the field of oncology. The two partners have, to date, identified three therapeutic antibody candidates that are being processed. This kind of cooperation enables small companies to negotiate contracts that provide them with long-term liquidity, while at the same time enabling blockbuster-dependent big pharma to upgrade its research competence without having to buy in expensive experts.
Given that the investments on this market are often in the order of hundreds of millions, spreading the burden only makes sense.
- Mark Platthaus -