INDUSTRY PARTNERSHIPS
Rarely has there been a time when universities and industry have sought closer alignment than today. The biotechnology revolution that has transformed and continues to change the landscape of health care began at the benches of university scientists. It became a reality, however, through partnerships with visionary companies that understood the enormous potential of biotechnology.
Washington University has a long-standing commitment to education and research initiatives. The collaborative spirit that drives these endeavors has enabled the University to establish thriving partnerships with industry. Founded on mutual respect and collegiality, these relationships have generated intense intellectual discourse and transformed novel discoveries into publicly accessible products and technologies. Working together to nurture emerging technologies, the time between basic discoveries and the development of novel therapeutic products is reduced, converting new knowledge into applications that benefit society.
An Ideal Industry Partner
The School of Medicine ranks third among the 125 U.S. medical schools in funding received from the NIH for research and training. Our strength in basic science and clinical research make Washington University an ideal partner for companies in the biotechnology, pharmaceutical and heath care industries. Companies can join in the development of new technologies at an early stage by working with our basic scientists, many of whom have primary appointments in clinical departments. The close collaboration among basic and clinical scientists facilitates breakthroughs in fundamental research which can be rapidly brought to bear on important clinical problems.
Outstanding Faculty
Washington University has a strong faculty who work at the cutting edge of biomedical research. Our faculty are world leaders in research in arthritis, bone and mineral diseases, cancer, cardiovascular disease, child health, diabetes, gastrointestinal diseases, genetics, genome sequencing, imaging, immunology, infectious diseases, molecular design, neuroscience, ophthalmology, pediatrics, pulmonary disease, renal disease, thrombosis and surgery. Fifteen Nobel laureates have been associated with the School of Medicine, 16 faculty members belong to the National Academy of Sciences and 26 are members of the academy's Institute of Medicine.
University-Industry Research Partnerships
As one of the leading medical research institutions in the United States, Washington University is positioned to collaborate effectively with industry partners in research, new product identification and clinical studies. Our goal for partnerships with industry is the translation of basic research discoveries into products and services for the improvement of human health and well-being.
Washington University takes pride in having formed major corporate collaborations that respect the needs of companies and maintain the principles and autonomy of the academic process and culture. Our faculty are knowledgeable and responsive to the needs of our corporate partners, and they understand and meet the expectations of contractual agreements. Together we accomplish that which neither of us is capable of alone.
Within the university framework, we strive to structure agreements that protect the integrity of both the corporation and the university, allowing each to pursue its strengths with assistance from the other. Each agreement is negotiated on a case-by-case basis to take into account the diversity of our constituencies.
Some of our current contracts cover a broad research area, distributing funds through an internal proposal review process that is monitored by a team of corporate and medical school representatives. The corporate sponsors assist with patenting the university's inventions and have the right of first refusal on technology emerging from projects supported through these agreements.
Other contracts cover more specific research areas. These agreements may provide for the exchange of expertise and personnel between a company and the university, and projects may be developed collaboratively. The company may have exclusive options to develop the results of the projects commercially.
University patent rights already obtained or pending can also be licensed through research contracts to companies. By promising a share in benefits derived from future company discoveries and products based on the research findings, the corporate sponsor encourages the active role of the university team.
Marketable Results
Corporate sponsorship of Washington University research puts industry on the front line for early identification of product development opportunities. Timely access to diversified, high-quality biotechnology discoveries gives industry a competitive edge in bringing promising products to market - extending the reach of your in-house R&D and allowing your company to move swiftly into and out of new areas of inquiry.
Our primary goal in all contract negotiations is to build lasting relationships with corporate sponsors. The University proactively licenses faculty inventions to companies, seeking win-win partnerships that allow the commercial potential of these inventions to be realized.
Faculty often participate in the further development of licensed technology through a sponsored research agreement. These agreements often involve sharing of materials and facilities, moving the invention quickly toward practical applications. Through strategic licensing of our technology, corporate sponsors can obtain the use of new materials to develop products in a timely manner.
Products now on the market based on Washington University technology include a leading diagnostic test for myocardial infarction based on a monoclonal antibody to creatine kinase MB and an improved diagnostic test for herpes simplex virus; a molecular genetic system to study programmed cell death in cancer; a safer type of breast implant; a revolutionary method for treating diabetes based on transplantation of pancreatic islet cells, and a breast cancer antigen for immunotherapy of adenocarcinoma.
For more information about technology available for licensing at Washington University, contact the Office of Technology Management (http://otm.wustl.edu/), Washington University, Campus Box 8013, 660 S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, MO 63110 (314) 747-0920 / (314) 362-5872 (FAX).
Corporate Research Support
Philanthropic support of research allows a company enhanced access to new discoveries by linking company scientists and University researchers. Such support can develop into more focused contractual agreements and the timely sharing of new biological materials. Seminars given by University faculty at the sponsoring company allow the entire corporate team access to new research findings, opening new avenues of inquiry and forming closer ties between university and industry researchers.
Annual support or endowment funds that establish fellowships named for a corporate sponsor are two of the most critical investments in the future of biomedical research. Support for predoctoral and postdoctoral trainees ensures that the rich resource of highly trained scientists is continually renewed. Corporate-sponsored fellowships also facilitate the recruitment of highly trained scientists to industry. Corporate sponsors attend annual retreats to hear up-to-the-minute presentations of research in progress and to relax in an informal setting with students, fellows and faculty participants.
Endowed professorships bearing the name of a company sponsor can be established for distinguished professors engaged in research of interest to the company or to recognize a long-term relationship between the company and a faculty member. Endowed research centers link the company identity to a leading center of excellence at one of the world's foremost academic health centers.
Faculty consulting, seminar programs, establishment of visiting lectureships, construction of research facilities and partnership in community service programs are some of the many mutually beneficial ways that universities and companies can work together toward common goals.
Clinical Trials
A Tradition of Excellence. Washington University faculty are internationally recognized for their leadership in landmark national and international studies that are shaping the face of modern medicine. More than 400 clinical trials, conducted in strict compliance with FDA regulations, are now in progress.
A Premier Academic Health Center. Washington University Medical Center - composed of Washington University School of Medicine; Barnes-Jewish, Children's and Barnard hospitals, and Central Institute for the Deaf - is one of the premier academic health centers in the world. Its adult and pediatric Clinical Research Centers are among the largest and most comprehensive in the country, and they provide an outstanding resource for investigator-initiated inpatient studies.
A One-Stop Resource for Clinical Studies. Our Center for Clinical Studies serves as a one-stop, full-service resource for companies committed to the highest quality clinical studies. The center supports faculty investigators by providing timely referrals and continuous support in contract negotiation, Human Studies Committee approval, patient recruitment and project coordination.
A database of faculty investigators and staff with unique skills, training and equipment allows companies to quickly assess the prospects for placement of a study at Washington University. In addition, a centralized database of potential patient volunteers will facilitate rapid accrual of and access to study participants.
For more information about clinical trials at Washington University, contact:
Center for Clinical Studies <http://ccs.wustl.edu/> Washington University School of Medicine Campus Box 8009 660 S. Euclid Ave. St. Louis, MO 63110 (314) 362-6863 FAX: (314) 747-1404 e-mail: nastp@msnotes.wustl.edu
