Translational Medicine Research Collaboration

ABOUT THE COLLABORATION

What is the Translational Medicine Research Collaboration (TMRC)?

TMRC is a collaboration to conduct medical and scientific research in support of Translational Medicine. The TMRC is a collaboration of ten partners: four Scottish Universities (Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, and Glasgow), four Scottish National Health Service Boards (Grampian, Tayside, Lothian and Greater Glasgow and Clyde), Scottish Enterprise and Wyeth Research.

A Core Laboratory has been staffed and equipped to support TMRC Translational Programmes. The facility is located at St James Arrott Drive, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School - (Find Us). A new company, TMRI Limited has been established as the primary administration vehicle for the collaboration.
 

What is the purpose of the Collaboration?

The overall purpose of the TMRC is to facilitate the translation of basic scientific and clinical expertise into effective therapeutics. We seek to harness the unprecedented depth of biological understanding at the basic discovery level to the solution of the increasing challenges of early drug development. Our focus is the development of biomarkers and experimental systems addressing the major challenges of innovative and safe drug discovery and development in the 21st century. These include:

• Selection of optimal molecular targets for the solution of significant unmet medical needs in all major disease areas.

• Better understanding and quantification of compound-target interactions.

• Improvement of safety through recognition and prevention of mechanistically related toxicity.

• Development of innovative models and technologies to assess efficacy of compounds via biomarker discovery, validation and implementation.

• Facilitation of optimal patient selection for clinical trials and personalised medicine.

Who is Wyeth?

Wyeth is one of the world’s largest research-driven pharmaceutical and health care product companies headquartered in Madison, New Jersey, USA. In 2006, Wyeth spent approximately $3.1 billion on research and development, with an emphasis on pharmaceutical, vaccine and biopharmaceutical approaches to treating and preventing disease. Wyeth is unique in having a strong technology base in several distinct platforms. Small molecule pharmaceuticals are the major part of Wyeth’s portfolio but an increasing emphasis on protein therapeutics and vaccines has made it the fourth largest presence in biotechnology worldwide.

What is TMRI Limited (TMRI)?

TMRI Limited is the company incorporated by the nine Scottish partners of the TMRC (Scottish Enterprise, the four Scottish Universities and the four Scottish NHS Regional Boards), excluding Wyeth. The Scottish partners are equal shareholders in TMRI and all have Board membership. TMRI is the dedicated vehicle for delivery of the collaboration – ensuring all partners remain engaged and focused on the partnership. TMRI additionally manages the overall budget for the TMRC and focuses on exploiting TMRC discoveries for the commercial market in non-therapeutic fields (e.g. diagnostics). TMRI is currently based at the University of Glasgow.

How will Scottish partners benefit from participation in the TMRC?

Access to advanced technology, industrial expertise and well-characterized experimental compounds that are not available commercially. Collaboration with scientists in the TMRC Core Laboratory using cutting edge technology in genomics, proteomics, metabolomics and bioinformatics.Discovery of novel biomarkers suitable for application in clinical use as diagnostics. The opportunity to develop research findings and assays into commercially viable intellectual property.

How will Wyeth benefit from participation in the TMRC?

Broadening of the scientific base that supports drug discovery & development through collaboration with scientists and clinicians in Scottish universities and the National Health Service. Development of biomarkers that will facilitate the early development of novel therapeutic agents.

What are TMRC’s therapeutic areas of interest?

Cardiovascular disease (e.g. atherothrombosis, cardiac arrhythmias, congestive heart failure) Metabolic disease (e.g. diabetes mellitus, obesity and metabolic syndrome) Inflammatory disease (e.g. rheumatoid arthritis. osteoarthritis, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, systemic lupus erythematosis, psoriasis). Neuroscience (e.g. Alzheimer’s , Parkinson’s, schizophrenia, depression, anxiety, pain, stroke) Oncology (e.g. solid tumors – breast, colon, lung, pancreas and leukemias/lymphomas) Reproductive Health (e.g. endometriosis, fibroids and postmenopausal symptoms). Musculoskeletal disease (e.g. osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, fracture and tendon repair, sarcopenia)

What happens in the TMRC Core Laboratory?

TMRC is an innovative collaboration, especially in relation to the core laboratory. The new facility gives TMRC investigators access to a range of world-class, industry-standard capabilities, and is a critical link for collaborators across Scotland. The laboratory is staffed with a Group of 40 scientists and support staff. TMRI Ltd funds the majority of this core staff, who work closely with senior Wyeth colleagues based at the laboratory.

Key aspects of the core laboratory include:

• The development and validation of research assays that are originated by participating collaborators to the standards required of biomarkers and/or diagnostic tests.
• The provision of cutting edge technologies and expertise – currently available core resources include transcriptional profiling, immunoassays, proteomics and bioinformatics.

What are the TMRC Centre’s of Excellence?

A key element of TMRC is the creation of Centre’s of Excellence at the Universities of Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow. Each University partner is making significant in-kind contributions to TMRC, including the provision of facilities, key capabilities and IP to conduct Translational Programmes. Associated with this, TMRI provides core funding to each University Centre of Excellence for new senior academic ambassadors and support staff that actively promote TMRC and facilitate projects. NHS partners also provide important contributions to TMRC, and TMRI similarly provides annual staff funding to the each NHS partners to support the collaboration and projects.

What is Scottish Enterprise’s Role?

Scottish Enterprise provides a significant proportion of the funding for TMRC operations and projects, and has an important role in the strategic direction of the collaboration and TMRI Ltd.

TRANSLATIONAL PROGRAMS (Application, Funding, Review Process, IP Information)

What funding schemes are available?

Wyeth-Funded Translational Programs:
Collaborations between Wyeth and Scottish Investigators from participating institutions originate from publicized workshops designed to identify areas of common interest or from direct interaction with Wyeth Translational Scientists. Completed applications should be submitted to TMRI. Scientific review of applications will be conducted by TMRC’s Scientific Review Board (SRB).
Non-Wyeth Funded Translational Programs:
Additionally, where Wyeth does not provide funding for a translational program (funding provided by other non-commercial organizations, e.g. MRC), a Scottish Investigator in a participating institution may still access the resources of the TMRC, including the services of the TMRC Core Laboratory. Applications follow the same submission and review process as with Wyeth-Funded Translational Programs.

Are collaborative projects encouraged?

Yes. The strength of the TMRC is based on collaboration across Scotland, engaging the universities, the NHS, scientists at the core laboratory and Wyeth Translational Medicine scientists. We believe focused workshops to be an ideal basis for productive collaborative research supporting the development of novel therapeutic agents. These workshops identify key translational issues in Wyeth Platforms and serve as a forum for discussion by a multidisciplinary group of scientists from several institutions.

What are the Intellectual Property (IP) arrangements for TMRC?

A key to the success of the TMRC is the timely and transparent respect of issues relating to the IP of all participants. IP that predates any collaboration (‘Background IP’) will remain the sole property of the contributing party. New IP (‘Foreground IP’) that results from TMRC collaborations will become the property of the TMRC, with the exception of IP relating to Wyeth drug candidates. Generally, Wyeth has the right to exploit foreground IP in the therapeutic field and the TMRI has the right to exploit the foreground IP in diagnostic and other fields. Where background IP is required to exploit the IP outputs of a translational programme, it will generally be necessary for TMRI (via Scottish partners) and Wyeth to provide cross licenses to that IP. Royalty sharing arrangements are in place between Wyeth and TMRI, and TMRI and Universities/NHS partners. These arrangements provide a clear route for institutions and investigators to realise value from commercially useful project outputs.

Where can I find more information? With whom can I discuss my research ideas

Contact Yvonne Samson ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) or Ross McLennan ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) at TMRI for additional information on how to engage with TMRC.