GSK ups stake in neurodegenerative disease

GSK has added its support to the Open Innovation Challenge in Neurodegenerative Disease. The initiative – launched by Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst and six Academic Health Science Centre Technology Transfer Organisations last year – was developed to address growing healthcare needs around these complex conditions. The company's support increases the number of academic projects which can be developed under the open innovation challenge. Researchers at the universities involved have submitted project proposals which will undergo review by a panel of industry, public sector and research charity experts to decide which should be developed further. Martino Picardo, CEO of Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst, said: “We are delighted to welcome GSK, a founding stakeholder and long-term partner, to this important initiative. Its research activity brings valuable insight for the academic researchers tackling neurodegenerative disease in this open innovation challenge.” Dementia continues to be one of the UK’s most challenging health problems affecting 670,000 people in the UK alone, with recent data indicating that the annual cost of dementia to the country is more than £20 billion^. Min Li, SVP, Neurosciences GSK, said: “Taking an open-minded approach to sharing information and resources is critical to helping us unlock some of the key barriers to developing effective new medicines. We think that this initiative will help to provide an increased understanding of the biology to a point where we can identify a new target, deliver a new model, tool or biomarker.”