GSK, AZ and Manchester University join forces

Published: 12-May-2011

To create the Manchester Collaborative Centre for Inflammation Research (MCCIR)


The University of Manchester and UK drugmakers GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and AstraZeneca have created the Manchester Collaborative Centre for Inflammation Research (MCCIR) in the UK to establish a world-leading translational centre for inflammatory diseases. Each partner has made an initial investment of £5m over three years.

The collaboration will bring together scientists from the pharmaceutical industry and academia to work on inflammation research and translational medicine.

Scientists will be recruited for new positions to direct the research in line with strategic priorities set jointly by the three partners, with the ultimate goal of translating findings into new and improved treatments. Such advances could potentially benefit the millions of people worldwide affected by diseases associated with chronic inflammation, including asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease.

The MCCIR will be formally opened later this year at The University of Manchester.

Professor Ian Jacobs, vice-president of The University of Manchester and Dean of the Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences, said: ‘This collaboration builds on the mutual understanding developed between the University and both GSK and AstraZeneca over recent years, and will bring together expertise in biomedical research from the University with the resources and drug discovery expertise from GSK and AstraZeneca to create true partnership and synergy.’

Dave Allen, senior vice-president of Respiratory Research at GSK, added: ‘The translation of basic research discoveries into new medicines is challenging, but we believe we improve our chances of success through collaborative science.’

Dr Menelas Pangalos, executive vice-president, Innovative Medicines at AstraZeneca, said: ‘Inflammatory processes underpin many of our priority areas of research and this is a ground-breaking collaboration.’

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