Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute (Sanford-Burnham)
is the latest research organization to partner with Pfizer Inc. as part of
Pfizer’s commitment to transforming research and development through a focus on
translational medicine. The Centers for Therapeutic Innovation (CTI) is a
research unit at Pfizer dedicated to open innovation through establishing
global partnerships with academic research institutions to bridge the gap
between discovery science and clinical applications.
“Pfizer is truly excited to work in this new
partnership with leading experts from Sanford-Burnham Medical Research
Institute to understand more about the mechanisms that drive diseases with high
unmet medical need,” says Anthony Coyle, PhD, vice president and head of
Pfizer’s Global Centers for Therapeutic Innovation.
Using a combination of grant funding, philanthropy, and
strategic partnerships, Sanford-Burnham has built a sophisticated
infrastructure for advanced drug discovery in the last few years, including
recruiting industry-trained leadership with a track record of success in
putting drugs into clinical development. Working with the Centers for
Therapeutic Innovation (CTI) unit at Pfizer will provide Sanford-Burnham
investigators with access to additional resources including select Pfizer
compound libraries, proprietary screening methods, and antibody development
technologies that are directly relevant to the investigators’ work.
“The ‘open innovation’ model of the CTI is a perfect
fit for Sanford-Burnham,” says Sanford-Burnham CEO John Reed, MD, PhD,
professor and Donald Bren Chief Executive Chair. “The Institute’s culture
of collaboration is enhanced by the opportunity to work side by side with
Pfizer researchers. Partnering with Pfizer accelerates our ability to translate
our research more quickly into the development of biopharmaceutical
products.”
Centers for Therapeutic Innovation have been established by
Pfizer in New York, Boston,
San Francisco, and San Diego,
where the University of California,
San Diego (UCSD) announced their participation in the CTI initiative in August
2011. Sanford-Burnham is one of only two participating institutions that are
not academic medical centers. Given Sanford-Burnham’s proximity to UCSD, it is
anticipated that the Institute will collaborate with UCSD when a project
reaches the clinical stage.
The CTI will provide funding to principal investigators for
postdoctoral support (trainees within a laboratory who have recently completed
doctoral studies), and provide technical support—including dedicated personnel—in
addition to access to infrastructure encompassing laboratory space, chemical libraries,
robots, etc. Financial details were not available, but the program has been
described by Pfizer as being highly incentivized.
“Pfizer’s CTI program represents a new model for early
stage drug development,” says Paul Laikind, Sanford-Burnham’s chief
business officer. “Aggressively working to close the gap between discovery
research and clinical application benefits research, benefits patients, and
ultimately adds to the innovation economy.”
