Increasing the impact of MRC research

Transcription

1 Increasing the impact of MRC research Declan Mulkeen Director, Research Programmes July 2011

2 Humanised antibodies four decades 1973 Mouse antibodies isolated by César Milstein and George Köhler (MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology) 1986 Michael Neuberger and Sir Greg Winter humanise mouse antibodies Sir Greg develops and patents technology for producing antibodies in vitro 2003 MRC-developed Humira licensed to treat UK arthritis patients monoclonal antibody drugs on market for treating breast cancer, leukaemia, asthma, arthritis, psoriasis and transplant rejection 2011 Antibodies make up 1/3 of new drugs for cancer, arthritis and asthma; global antibody market estimated to be worth $40bn

3 Division of Signal Transduction Therapy, Dundee Sir Philip Cohen Director, MRC Protein Phosphorylation Unit 1998: 6.5m, 5 years (Astra, Zeneca, Pfizer, SmithKline Beecham, NovoNordisk and later Boehringer Ingelheim) 2003: 15.2m, 5 years (AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, GlaxoSmithKline, Merck and Co, Merck KGaA, Pfizer) 2008: renewal of core funding brings total investment from private sector to over 40m Protein phosphorylation now one of the largest areas of research worldwide 2009: Market for drugs that act on kinases = $15.2bn

4 Mood Disorders Centre (University of Exeter): Cognitive therapy for depression 1st translational gap 2nd translational gap Basic Research Applied Research Healthcare Practice & Policy Mood Discorders Centre Founded 2003 by Professor Edward Watkins and Professor Willem Kuyken Wellcome Trust Project Grants 2006 Developed Professor Edward Watkins research MRC Brain Sciences Trial Platform Grant (2005) Preventing depression relapse in NHS practice using Mindfulness- Based Cognitive Therapy" 237k MRC Experimental Medicine Grant (2007) Cognitive training as a facilitated self-help intervention for depression Allowed for growth of research team and shift in focus from experimental research to evaluation of therapy via RCT. 464k Wellcome Trust Capital Grant to build the new Sir Henry Wellcome Mood Disorders Centre at Exeter (due to open in 2011) 3.6m NIHR South-West CLAHRC (2007) Provision of institutional programmatic support to support the further translation of this work into a viable treatment. Total value of Peninsula CLAHRC 10m Health Technology Assessment (2010) Preventing depressive relapse in NHS Practice through mindfulnessbased cognitive therapy (MBCT) 2.1m Outcomes Proof-of-principle evidence that training depressed individuals to think about their problems in a more concrete way reduces their symptoms of depression. Pilot work in a multiple case series has demonstrated in patients with major depression that is safe, tolerable, and acceptable. The final stages of the current MRC grant have tested out the efficacy of the intervention in a small scale controlled trial (n =121). The results of the main outcome analysis indicate that the cognitive training guided self-help treatment adds significant clinical benefit in terms of reducing depression relative to treatment-as-usual alone, and that it is of equivalent efficacy to a relaxation based guided self-help treatment in reducing depression, but superior in changing depressogenic thinking such as rumination. The project has therefore developed a novel treatment derived from experimental findings that is easily accessible, cost-effective and able to be disseminated, and could be made widely available (for example via Improving Access to Psychological Treatments IAPT initiative). This treatment material has been copyrighted. The report of the main outcome of the trial has now been prepared as a paper and submitted to a high impact peer-reviewed journal for publication. Collaborations with researchers in the Netherlands (2009) has extended this work to a new population (adolescents at risk) and to a prevention treatment (rather than an acute treatment). The work has been cited in the NICE guideline update on depression (2009)

5 Collaborations with the private sector In 2010, MRC-funded research reported over 650 partnerships with the private sector 327 different organisations, based in around 20 different countries Co-funding agreements at time of award account for one-quarter 24% are based in the UK 10% elsewhere in Europe 10% in the USA, and 48% are global (>2 centres in different countries)

6 Companies built from MRC research 35 companies have been formed since 2006 ~ 400 new highly skilled jobs 7 have been merged into or acquired by other organisations often with the release of significant investment. For example: Domantis was an MRC spin out established by Sir Gregory Winter, and Dr Ian Tomlinson from MRC LMB with seed funding from MVM Ltd. to develop Human Domain Antibodies. At the end of 2006 GSK acquired Domantis for 230 million. MRC received 7.3 million from sale of its interest. Thiakis Ltd., an Imperial College spin out company was formed in 2004 to develop discoveries from the MRC funded laboratory of Professor Steve Bloom for the treatment of obesity and associated conditions. Thiakis raised 10 million funding in 2006, and was sold to Wyeth for 20 million followed by additional potential milestones payments totalling up to 80 million, in December 2008.

7 Outcomes from funding: 2010

8 The MRC pipeline: 2010 Eg Benlysta Eg ICM software

9 Strengthening translation Stronger translational pathway Reinforcing exploratory and collaborative research

10 The Translational Pathway Developmental Pathway Funding Scheme (DPFS) Preclinical development ( 13m/yr) multiple DPFS if required Developmental Clinical Studies (DCS) Phase I-II ( 17m/yr) Translational Stem Cell Research Committee (TSCRC) MRC-NIHR Efficacy, Mechanism and Evaluation (EME) Phase (v. late IIb)-III ( 13m/yr)

11 Collaborative development MenBioVax: meningitis vaccine developed by ImmBio with TSB funding following a collaborative programme with Bristol Medical School MRC DPFS funding to take MenBioVax through preclinical studies There aren t many other sources of funding for this type of project in the UK. It brings more than just money, of course. It s important for potential investors to be able to see that bodies like the MRC have confidence in our technology and products. Graham Clarke, ImmBio CEO

12 DCS Case Study: Sodium nitrite for ischaemiareperfusion injury in myocardial infarction Lundberg et al. 2008

13 Collaborative and exploratory research Gaps in research skills Easier movement between academia and industry Underpinning science Models Biomarkers New ways of coordinating Facilities and resources

14 Inflammation and Immunology Initiative A new way of funding from the MRC Collaboration with ABPI: Disease-focused workshops COPD Rheumatoid arthritis Brought together experts from academia and industry Identified research priorities Ear-marked funds for research consortiums to address barriers and exploit opportunities MRC invested 9.5m over four years

15 Research resources: eg patient cohorts UK Primary Sjögren s syndrome Registry (Newcastle): 500 ABC A Bipolar Cohort (Newcastle): 180 Population-based Ankylosing Spondylitis cohort (Swansea) Type 2 diabetes in childhood (Birmingham): 85 Wessex severe asthma cohort (Southampton) Paediatric-Onset Inflammatory Disease Cohort and Treatment Study (PICTS) (Edinburgh): 450 Mitochondrial Disease Patient Cohort (Newcastle; Oxford; MRC CND, London) Pathobiology of Early Arthritis Cohort (QMUL): 300 Rapidly Evolving Multiple Sclerosis (Imperial): 200 London COPD Exacerbation Cohort (UCL): 250 UK TTP Registry (UCL)

16 Dr Matt Jones MRC Senior Non-Clinical Fellow School of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Bristol Research into neuronal networks and control of cognitive behaviour Industrial collaborations with Eli Lilly, Janssen, GSK, Pfizer A range of companies have provided access to the pharmacological tools, disease models and techniques that I need. Ultimately, if you want to have a positive impact on patients, then you need industry s support.

17 What Fellows tell us about industry Questionnaire Career placements in industry? 0%! Why? 40% Unaware & unable 60% Irrelevant Would you apply for a Senior Fellowship with an industry component? 21% Yes Issues and risks Wanted to focus on establishing my lab Too early Too basic Need to know who and how Translational research is too risky at this stage of my academic career Opportunities Modelling & simulation in drug development Vital access to novel compounds & facilities Develop new RNAi based compounds and therapy Rational drug development [n=52 responses from 69 CDA Fellows]

18 Where next?

19 The next steps.. Support areas where science is driving major change Stratified Medicine Regenerative Medicine Coordination - Heath Departments, TSB, Research Councils Critical mass International visibility Simplicity Make it easier to engage with industry throughout a research career Widen range of companies and innovation sectors engaged with MRC Links to Small and Medium sized companies

20 Thank you

21 MRC translational research funding Translational Research Support the Managed Programme Developmental Pathway Funding Scheme TSB Developmental Clinical Studies Translational Stem Cell Research Programme NIHR Basic medical research Prototype discovery and design Pre-clinical development Early clinical trials Late clinical trials Continued commitment to basic lab, clinical and population research Targeted initiatives to alleviate bottlenecks Infrastructure/Resources Methodology Training Capacity building

22 MRC Translational Funding end 2010) Since Inception Last 12 months Scheme Number Value Number Value Leading Therapeutic Areas Since Inception Leading Modalities DPFS 97 c. 33m 21 c. 12m DCS 13 c. 19m 10 c. 14m TSCRC 17 c. 11m 6 c. 4m Cancer, Infection, Neurological Cardiovascular, Infection, Stroke Eye, Oral and GI, Inflammatory and Immune System, Musculoskeletal Small Molecule, Diagnostic Non-Imaging, Protein/Peptide Protein/Peptide, Small Molecule, Vaccine Regenerative Medicine TOTAL 127 c. 64m 37 c. 30m