AstraZeneca and University of Cambridge mark a decade of partnership
AstraZeneca and the University of Cambridge have marked a decade of partnership on a major programme for PhD students.
The biopharma deepened its existing ties with the university when it decided to locate its headquarters and flagship R&D centre on Cambridge Biomedical Campus.
Since then, more than 160 Cambridge PhD students have received funding and joint supervision from the university and AstraZeneca to develop expertise in both fundamental science and drug discovery.
The university and AstraZeneca have also set up a training programme for professionals across research, healthcare and the pharmaceutical industry to help develop the UK’s expertise in drug discovery and clinical trial design.
Jacqui Hall, head of early careers, biopharma R&D, AstraZeneca, said: “These individuals are uniquely positioned to accelerate ground-breaking research that ultimately leads to solutions that can enhance patient care.”
On Friday (18 July), Steve Rees, senior vice-resident, discovery sciences at AstraZeneca, and Diarmuid O’Brien, pro-vice-chancellor for innovation at the University of Cambridge, came together at the company’s Discovery Centre to mark the milestone.
Steve said: “Science advances through collaboration. Moving to this world-renowned bioscience hotspot means we have leading-edge academic and industry networks and scientific talent on our doorstep. We can see how sharing expertise and resources is driving progress for patients.”
The collaboration between the two also includes mentoring entrepreneurs and start-ups and contributing to initiatives such as Innovate Cambridge and the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor.
Diarmuid said: “Cambridge’s life sciences cluster is demonstrably successful, home to hundreds of start-ups and attracting global companies in increasing numbers. As anchor institutions, the university and AstraZeneca are critical to the ecosystem as a whole, helping to attract new investment and create new jobs.”
Joint projects between the two include the UK’s first national functional genomics screening lab based at the university’s Milner Therapeutics Institute on Cambridge Biomedical Campus. It aims to use CRISPR gene editing to help find opportunities to develop therapies for chronic diseases including cardiovascular, inflammatory, respiratory and metabolic disease. Scientists from across the UK can apply to run projects with the laboratory.
Meanwhile, an older collaboration that had its genesis in the 1990s continues to help cancer patients today.
Prof Steve Jackson’s work on PARP inhibitors prompted the formation of spin-out company KuDOS in 1997 and he was joined by Mark O’Connor. The company was acquired by AstraZeneca in 2006 and Mark is now its chief scientist in oncology R&D. Today, some ovarian cancer patients benefit from a PARP inhibitor and Steve has led work at AstraZeneca on DNA Damage Response (DDR) – the field of study that underpins PARP inhibitors. DDR remains a major pillar of AstraZeneca’s cancer drug discovery programme.
Shaun Grady, chair of AstraZeneca UK, said of the collaboration with the university: ”Together we are accelerating scientific discoveries into meaningful progress for patients, nurturing the next generation of talent that will lead the breakthroughs of the future, and supporting initiatives to unlock the full potential of the Cambridge innovation ecosystem.”
And Professor Deborah Prentice, vice-chancellor at the University of Cambridge, said: “Our partnership, with its shared vision and porous boundaries, drives curiosity, innovation and translation. It is also vital for developing the talent and skills needed by both industry and academia to make the breakthroughs of the future.”