Advances in medical research and technology directly impact the quality of human life. However, although extraordinary medical advancements have been made, much still needs to be done to develop new medicines for endemic infectious diseases.
As part of its commitment to researching new treatments for diseases that affect millions of people in the world’s developing nations, GlaxoSmithKline has opened its campus at Tres Cantos to independent researchers to access its facilities and expertise, including its proprietary compound collection and data, to help them advance their own research.
With its unique approach to discovering new, better, safer and affordable medicines for endemic Infectious Diseases the Tres Cantos Open Lab Foundation challenges existing ideas around how research and development should be conducted and has created new ways for industry, academia, NGOs and governments to work together.
At the core of the Foundation’s approach to intellectual property are the principles of WIPO Re:Search, an open innovation platform to help accelerate the development of new and better treatments against neglected tropical diseases. All projects funded to date by the Foundation have agreed to the WIPO Re:Search principles.
WIPO Re:Search is a collaboration of private and public sector organisations sponsored by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in partnership with BIO Ventures for Global Health (BVGH). It builds on the Pool for Open Innovation against Neglected Tropical Diseases, which was established in February 2009 with patents from GSK and Alnylam Pharmaceuticals.
Consortium members of WIPO demonstrate a vision for collaboration and access to IP to advance research for developing treatments for endemic infectious diseases.
These fundamental steps are already encouraging fresh new research ideas in this area and helping to overcome blocks in research to eliminate and ultimately help eradicate malaria, tuberculosis and other neglected diseases.