- Takeda and UCL announce new
partnership to target gene mutations
- New report shows Japan is the second
biggest life sciences investor in London and the greater south east
over the past 10 years
A new London-Japan partnership to understand why devastating
neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s or Motor Neurone
Disease develop and how they can be disrupted will be announced
today by the Mayor of London Boris Johnson during his trade mission
to Japan.
The new partnership between Takeda Pharmaceutical Company
Limited (TSE: 4502), Japan’s largest pharmaceutical company, and
UCL (University College London), regularly ranked as one of the
world’s top 10 universities, focuses on identifying and
understanding the role genes and genetic mutations play in these
diseases so that they can be targeted with more effective new
treatments.
The partnership will see Takeda and UCL scientists working side
by side across a range of pre-clinical drug discovery areas,
including bioinformatics, molecular biology and pharmacology. The
collaboration has also received funding support from the National
Institute for Health Research (NIHR) University College London
Hospitals Biomedical Research Centre.
Takeda is a major international investor in London’s life
sciences industry, with a development centre in central London as
well as a presence in other areas of England, including its
research site in Cambridge, which initiated the collaboration with
UCL to enhance its work to discover treatments for
neurodegenerative diseases. Takeda Cambridge is also actively
researching novel therapies in multiple therapeutic areas
The announcement coincides with a new report from PwC’s
Strategy& released today which shows that Japan is the second
largest overseas investor in the life sciences sector of England’s
greater south east region, with £160m invested over the last 10
years. The report, which is based on interviews with senior figures
in nine leading Japanese pharmaceutical companies, finds that the
top reasons cited for the region’s popularity is the presence of
international talent and top universities, its strong ecosystem of
large and small companies, and its favourable business environment,
from labour laws to intellectual property.
Read the full report here:
http://medcityrb.staging.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Collaborating-for-success.pdf
The partnership and report are unveiled by the Mayor of London
Boris Johnson at BioJapan, Asia’s leading biotechnology event,
attracting thousands of representatives from some 700 of the
world’s leading bioscience companies every year. He will give the
keynote speech at the opening night networking reception and
celebrate the world-leading life sciences sector of London and the
greater south east - home to 1,896 life sciences companies
generating £16.6 billion annually and employing 62,855 people
UK-wide.*
The Mayor is joined at BioJapan by MedCity, an organisation that
he launched in April 2014 to promote and lead the growth of the
world-leading life sciences cluster of London and the greater south
east.
The Mayor of London Boris Johnson said:
“London is a world-leading scientific city with some of the
greatest universities in the world, at the very forefront of the
drive to understand terrible, life-altering diseases and how they
can be stopped. Working with global partners is a crucial part of
turning research breakthroughs into better treatments, and I’m
absolutely delighted that Takeda is deepening its commitment to
London through this partnership.”
Dr. Tetsuyuki Maruyama, General Manager of Takeda's
Pharmaceutical Research Division, said:
"At Takeda, we work with partners to accelerate innovation. We
are looking forward to collaborating with UCL’s world-class
researchers. This cooperation will help us to identify and validate
novel therapeutic pathways in central nervous system diseases,
which is one of Takeda’s core therapeutic areas – ultimately
leading to new treatments for patients suffering from
neurodegenerative disorders.”
UCL’s agreement with Takeda complements its alliance with
Japanese pharmaceutical company Eisai, launched three years ago to
develop new ways of treating neurological diseases such as
Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
UCL President & Provost Professor Michael Arthur said:
“Our alliance with Eisai was a crucial step in UCL’s drive to
develop new therapies for neurodegeneration. This drive is mirrored
in other fields of research and is exemplified by the collaborative
nature of UCL’s research, particularly in partnering with industry.
This partnership between UCL and Takeda is a very exciting
development. UCL has a long and successful track record of working
with companies in Japan and we are keen to build on this further
across all areas of research.”
MedCity will use its presence at BioJapan to launch a major new
drive to promote cell therapy collaborations between the UK and
Japan, in partnership with London & Partners and the GREAT
Britain campaign**.
The campaign includes a new report and video showcasing the
excellence of London and the Greater South East in cell therapy and
regenerative medicine, with contributions from companies including
Takeda and Pfizer, research centres including Oxford and Cambridge
universities, Osaka University, University College London, King’s
College London and the Cell Therapy Catapult, and UK Minister for
Life Sciences George Freeman.
Dr Eliot Forster, Executive Chair of MedCity, says:
“I’m absolutely delighted to be bringing some of our most
exciting biotechs to Japan to showcase the innovative, diverse ways
that cell therapies are being developed and commercialised in the
UK. With Japan also having such a strong track record and
commitment to this field, there are huge opportunities for us to
work together to fast-track a potentially game-changing new
science.”
-ends-
Mayor of London photo and filming opportunities
Media not registered for BioJapan should contact Abigail Smith
for access – details below.
Wednesday 14 October16.30Photocall with the Mayor of London at
the MedCity standBooth C-14BioJapan, Pacifico Yokohama
Wednesday 14 October17.30Mayor of London speech at BioJapan
networking receptionOsanbashi Hall, Yokohama
Notes to editors
*Research produced by Trampoline Systems and SQW for the Greater
London Authority.
**Stem cells are cells that have the ability to renew themselves
by dividing, and have the potential to develop into many different
cell types. In many tissues they act as an internal repair system,
dividing without limit to replenish other cells. This gives them
enormous potential for treating a wide range of diseases and for
repairing damaged organs. Cell therapy research is pushing forward
our understanding of how they work and how they can be used in
cell-based therapies or regenerative medicine.
PwC report details
Collaborating for success in Cambridge, London, Oxford, and
South East of England - the view of Japanese pharma was produced
for MedCity by PwC's Strategy& in the UK and PwC in Japan.
Read the report here:
http://medcityrb.staging.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Collaborating-for-success.pdf
MedCity at BioJapan
Booth C-14
The MedCity delegation to BioJapan includes:
- Dr Eliot Forster, Executive Chair,
MedCity
- Sarah Haywood, Chief Operating Officer,
MedCity
- Professor Chris Mason, Professor of
Regenerative Medicine Bioprocessing, University College London
- Professor Adrian Thrasher, Professor of
Paediatric Immunology, University College London
- Hidetoshi Hoshiya, Transactions
Manager, Cell Therapy Catapult
- Michael Bennett, Head of Transactions
and Intellectual Property, Cell Therapy Catapult
UK companies joining the delegation:
- CIMYM BioSciences
- Curileum Discovery Ltd
- Desktop Genetics Ltd
- Genetic Microdevices Ltd
- Imanova Ltd
- Kanteron Systems
- Plasticell LTD
About Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited
Located in Osaka, Japan, Takeda (TSE: 4502) is a research-based
global company with its main focus on pharmaceuticals. As the
largest pharmaceutical company in Japan and one of the global
leaders of the industry, Takeda is committed to strive towards
better health for people worldwide through leading innovation in
medicine. Additional information about Takeda is available through
its corporate website: www.takeda.com.
Takeda Cambridge: www.takedacam.com
About UCL (University College London)
UCL was founded in 1826. We were the first English university
established after Oxford and Cambridge, the first to open up
university education to those previously excluded from it, and the
first to provide systematic teaching of law, architecture and
medicine. We are among the world's top universities, as reflected
by performance in a range of international rankings and tables. UCL
currently has over 35,000 students from 150 countries and over
11,000 staff. Our annual income is more than £1 billion.
www.ucl.ac.uk
About MedCity
Established by the Mayor of London with the capital’s three
Academic Health Science Centres - Imperial College Academic Health
Centre, King’s Health Partners, and UCL Partners - MedCity is a
unique collaboration that brings together the outstanding life
sciences strengths of London and the greater south east.
Over the next 20 years, MedCity will position the region as a
world-leading, interconnected hub for research, development,
manufacturing and commercialisation by championing collaboration
and entrepreneurship, promoting a joined up and globally distinct
life sciences offer, and providing a visible ‘go-to’ point for
industry and investors.
www.medcityhq.com
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version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20151013006029/en/
MedCityAbigail SmithMedia & PR ManagerTel: +44 (0)20
7914 604 027Email: abigailcsmith@medcitylondon.com