Strathclyde University to create

A £35m drug discovery and development centre is to be created at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow.

The pioneering Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences will focus on priority healthcare issues, from improving understanding of the immune system to new drugs to combat MRSA.

A £1.75m grant for a state-of-the-art building has been allocated by the Wolfson Foundation. The new building will be constructed on Glasgow's Cathedral Street by 2010. The University has committed £27m to the development and has launched a fundraising campaign for the remaining £8m.

'This move will help to speed up dramatically the lengthy journey from drug concept to clinical trial by bringing together for the first time in an academic environment world-class expertise from the chemical, biological and pharmaceutical sciences,' said biomedical scientist Professor Graham Coombs, head of the Institute.

'This major investment will put Strathclyde at the forefront of drug discovery, enabling us to make a real contribution to the health of patients globally. We will develop and advance new treatments for a range of major illnesses, from cardiovascular and inflammatory conditions to infectious diseases.

'We aim to attract scientists from around the world to develop our close links with industry, ensuring we create the medicines that are most needed.'

The Institute, which has already become the site of Cancer Research UK's drug formulation unit, will build on the University's track record of world-class drug research. Pioneering drugs to date include atracurium, the muscle relaxant now used in surgical operations around the world, and a new form of leucovorin, used in the treatment of colon cancer.