AstraZeneca and UCL Join Forces In Sight-Related Stem Cell Medicine
LONDON, Sept. 13, 2010 - AstraZeneca and UCL have today entered into a collaboration to develop regenerative medicines for diabetic retinopathy (DR).
DR is now the most common cause of vision impairment among
people of working age in Western society. The majority of patients
with type 1 diabetes will develop retinopathy and about
20–30% will become blind.
Moreover, a large number of patients with type 2 diabetes will develop retinopathy as their underlying disease progresses. With the global epidemic of type 2 diabetes, this predicament is set to worsen as over 438 million people are projected to suffer from diabetes and its complications by 2030.
Under the terms of the three-year agreement,
AstraZeneca and scientists at the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology
will collaborate to identify new therapeutic tools that can
modulate the regenerative capacity of stem cells.
Dr Marcus Fruttiger of the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology is leading the project. He explained: “These tools could be used either to manufacture transplantable material or to directly stimulate new cell growth in the eye to help restore or improve the vision of those with DR.”
Alan Lamont, Director of Sciences and Technology
Alliances at AstraZeneca, said: “AstraZeneca believes that
regenerative medicine offers new opportunities to develop
innovative, more effective and safer therapies to benefit patient
health. Over the next few years, stem cell technology is likely to
contribute to a measurable improvement in our ability to discover
and develop candidate drugs, and to target those drugs to the right
patient population through a better understanding of the disease
process. We are delighted to be combining our drug hunting
expertise with the pioneering research ongoing at UCL.”
Professor Pete Coffey, UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, added: “This is a great collaborative opportunity and we’re delighted to be working with AstraZeneca to explore the potential of harnessing the regenerative capacity of stem cells to develop a cellular therapy for diabetic retinopathy, which is a major cause of visual impairment and blindness worldwide. AstraZeneca has a proven track record in developing medicines and their involvement in this type of research is very exciting.”
University College London - Gower Street - London - WC1E 6BT - +44 (0)20 7679 2000
Posted: September 2010
