£7 million funding for MRC-AstraZeneca compound collaboration

The UK’s Medical Research Council (MRC) will today (October 31) announce £7 million ($11.3 billion) of funding for 15 research projects awarded through its groundbreaking collaboration with Anglo-Swedish drug major AstraZeneca (LSE: AZN), which gave academic researchers unprecedented access to 22 chemical compounds (The Pharma Letter December 5, 2011).

Scientists will use the compounds to study a broad range of conditions from common diseases like Alzheimer’s, cancer and lung disease through to rarer conditions such as motor neurone disease and muscular dystrophies. Eight of the projects will involve clinical trials of potential new therapies, and seven will focus on earlier work in laboratory and animal models. All the projects will increase understanding of human disease and accelerate the search for innovative treatments, noted AstraZeneca.

AstraZeneca made 22 of its chemical compounds available free-of-charge to scientists, who were encouraged to apply for MRC funding to use them in medical research with the ultimate aim of benefitting patients. Among these is saracatanib (AZD0530), a drug studied in late-stage trials for solid cancer tumors, including pancreatic cancer. AstraZeneca had conducted early trials of these compounds and validated their use for future research, but had put them on hold for further development. This collaboration extends the possible application of these compounds for use in new areas.