London, UK, 15 April 2013: MRC Technology, a technology transfer organisation, announced today it has entered into a strategic collaboration with EMBL Enterprise Management Technology Transfer GmbH (EMBLEM), the exclusive technology transfer partner of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL). The initiative will focus on identification of novel druggable targets in the field of small molecules and antibodies, and collaborating to fast track those targets through drug discovery to create potent and selective novel therapeutics.
The agreement brings together EMBLEM’s experience in supporting academics in one of the world’s leading locations for scientific research, with MRC Technology’s dedicated expertise in translating novel biology targets into lead stage therapeutic assets.
Dr Dave Tapolczay, MRC Technology’s CEO, commented, “Heidelberg is a world centre for academic research and we are delighted to be collaborating with EMBLEM, and researchers from the EMBL Chemical Biology group. The skills of the two organisations are highly complementary, and the initiative further strengthens MRC Technology’s academic drug development and commercialization network – ultimately working towards improving the rate at which academic research is translated into new medicines.”
EMBLEM’s Managing Director, Dr. Gábor Lamm, said “We work closely with a network of partners to develop technologies to a sufficient level of maturity such that they can be transferred to industry. We look forward to working with MRC Technology to identify projects for collaborative screening and further development.”