GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and University College London's Institute of Ophthalmology have entered into a three year strategic collaboration to investigate new compounds to treat potentially sight-threatening disorders.

The alliance will apply the expertise and research facilities at UCL's Institute of Ophthalmology (IoO) to investigate the potential of compounds provided by GSK's ophthalmic drug development unit Ophthiris.

The collaboration will provide IoO with dedicated staff and funding as well as a range of pharmaceutical compounds, biopharmaceuticals and reagents with which to probe ophthalmic disease mechanisms, while GSK will gain access to the world class ophthalmic experience, facilities and investigators. In addition the arrangement provides for undisclosed royalty payments to UCL Business should the research be successful in identifying a future medicine.

Professor Philip Luthert, Director of IoO, who will be leading the alliance with Professor David Shima said "The compounds provided by GSK would allow Institute researchers to further investigate underlying mechanisms of disease or validate novel therapies in ophthalmology."

Professor David Shima, previously Senior Vice President of Research and Development at Eyetech Pharmaceuticals Inc, will now lead the research collaboration at the Institute, working with GSK and IoO investigators with diverse expertise to explore fundamental questions in basic vision research and exploit the multi-disciplinary environment to turn new innovations into medical treatments.

Professor Mike Spyer, Vice-Provost (Enterprise) with a mission to further develop the university's knowledge transfer strategy said "The IOO is conducting research of the highest calibre, and I am delighted that GSK will be working with UCL. Our research interests are closely aligned and I am confident that the results of this project will open up other opportunities for further collaboration."
 
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About UCL

Founded in 1826, UCL was the first English university established after Oxford and Cambridge, the first to admit students regardless of race, class, religion or gender, and the first to provide systematic teaching of law, architecture and medicine. UCL is the seventh-ranked university in the
2008 THES-QS World University Rankings, and the third-ranked UK university in the 2008 league table of the top 500 world universities produced by the Shanghai Jiao Tong University. UCL alumni include Marie Stopes, Jonathan Dimbleby, Lord Woolf, Alexander Graham Bell, and members of the band Coldplay. UCL currently has over 12,000 undergraduate and 8,000 postgraduate students. Its annual income is over £600 million.

About the Institute of Ophthalmology
Ophthalmology is the study of the eye and its diseases. The mission at the Institute of Ophthalmology is to further the understanding of the processes of vision and to develop new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for the benefit of patients worldwide. The Institute became part of University College London nearly 10 years ago and is now part of UCL Biomedicine which, with its associated specialist hospitals, comprises a unique powerhouse of biomedical expertise and offers extensive opportunity for collaboration and innovation.

UCL Business PLC
 
UCL Business PLC (UCLB) is the organisation responsible for commercialising research across all disciplines, generated from within UCL and associated organisations. It is primarily responsible for protecting inventions and transacting commercial activity including options, licences and collaborative commercial research. UCLB also has responsibility for creating and spinning-out companies from UCL. UCLB is wholly-owned by UCL and operates as an independent company with its own Board of Directors.

About GlaxoSmithKline
GlaxoSmithKline - one of the world's leading research-based pharmaceutical and healthcare companies - is committed to improving the quality of human life by enabling people to do more, feel better and live longer.  For company information, visit GlaxoSmithKline at www.gsk.com.

Further Information
Dr Sophie Khanna, Senior Business Manager, UCL Business PLC  020 7679 9000, (s.khanna@uclb.com) Janet Morgan, GSK communications, 020 8966 2417