New Vaccine Institute Planned For UK

A new vaccine research institute, to be called the Edward Jenner Instiute after the 18th century physician who pioneered the smallpox vaccine, is to be set up in the UK with funding from Glaxo, the Medical Research Council and Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, and the Department of Health.

Glaxo will provide initial funding of L10 million ($15.6 million) to build and equip the new Institute, which will be based alongside the Institute for Animal Health at Compton in Berkshire. Once set up, the annual running costs of L6 million will be met jointly by Glaxo (L3 million), the MRC (L1.5 million), BBSRC (1 million) and DoH (L0.5 million).

Many companies were approached as partners for the venture but only Glaxo, which has no heritage in vaccines, agreed to participate. In return for its funding Glaxo gains first option to license any product candidates resulting from work carried out at the Institute, under a royalty-bearing license agreement.