MRC to invest in translational research challenges
Monday 5 December 2011
The MRC is driving the translation of discoveries from basic laboratory and clinical science into benefits for human health. Using insights gleaned in this process, we are further enhancing our knowledge of the fundamental pathways in health and disease.
Innovation and translation in health care and life sciences is at the heart of the UK government’s plan for growth. MRC, in coordination with our OSCHR partners and others have invested heavily in translational research to set the foundations and develop new funding initiatives. The UK is now positioned to lead the world in translational medicine, with MRC researchers at the forefront.
To ensure the UK maintains this edge, the MRC is investing £354m in translational research over the next 4 years. This will continue to encourage and drive translation of medical research, supporting pre-clinical and clinical development of new therapies and diagnostics with an investment of £140m over 4 years.
Today the MRC announces up to £130m in three new translational research calls.
Stratified Medicine
£60m investment in stratified medicine research over 4 years to develop our understanding of a why groups of patients with the same diagnosis differ in response to treatment - using the best science to select the best therapy and achieve the best outcome for each group.
The call sets out to develop UK-wide research consortia that are each focussed on a specific disease area, in order to stratify that disease and develop a deeper understanding of the mechanisms underpinning the stratification. The consortia will build upon existing scientific and clinical expertise; clinical research infrastructure such as that provided by National Institute of Health Research, Scottish Government Health Directorates, The National Institute for Social Care and Health Research, Welsh Government and Health, Social Services and Public Safety, Northern Ireland; and will have significant links with industrial partners. The aim is that each consortium should provide a dynamic platform for research that will create future opportunities for further funding and collaboration.
Experimental Medicine Challenge Grants
£60m investment over 3 years in a new funding programme in experimental medicine to support ambitious, challenge-led studies of disease mechanisms in humans.
The “Challenge Grants” scheme will support ambitious, challenge-led studies of disease mechanisms in humans. These studies will produce major new mechanistic insights into human disease, with potential applicability to new therapeutic approaches and opportunities for “reverse translation” to more basic research. Collaborations between institutions and between disciplines will be strongly encouraged. Awards will be large (£2-4m each), in line with the ambitious nature of the research.
MRC/AstraZeneca: Mechanisms of Disease initiative
£10m to fund a unique initiative giving academic researchers access to deprioritised experimental assets from AstraZeneca.
The MRC are investing £10M in a unique open innovation collaboration with AstraZeneca. This partnership provides academic researchers with unprecedented access to high quality clinical and pre-clinical compounds, the building blocks of new drugs, in order to help better understand a spectrum of diseases with a view to exploring new treatments. Such a collaboration has the potential to be transformational in stimulating relationships between academia and industry. The findings of the research will help deliver growth to the pharmaceutical and biotech industry.
Support for Therapeutics, Devices and Diagnostics Development (DPFS/DCS)
The MRC will also invest £35m per year to support the translation of fundamental scientific discoveries into benefits to human health. This scheme will continue the MRC’s funding of the pre-clinical development and early clinical testing (phases 1 & 2) of novel therapeutics, devices and diagnostics, including “repurposing” of existing therapies.
This scheme combines the previous translational funding schemes (Developmental Pathway Funding Scheme and Developmental Clinical Studies), enabling a more flexible and integrated approach to the development of new interventions and diagnostics. Collaborations between scientific disciplines and with industry are encouraged where these add value to the project.
