NIHR translational research partnerships bring together investigators at the U.K.’s leading academic and NHS centers to support collaboration with the life sciences industry in early and exploratory development of new drugs and other interventions.

The research centers that make up the partnerships have been selected to work together based on their proven ability to deliver in experimental medicine and translational research. As members of a partnership, each center has committed to work with industry through a consistent point of contact provided by the NIHR office for clinical research infrastructure (NOCRI).

NIHR has launched the first two translational research partnerships, focusing on joint and related inflammatory diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis and synovitis, and inflammatory respiratory disease including asthma, allergy, COPD, cystic fibrosis, acute lung injury and respiratory infection.

Translational research partnerships offer an internationally unique approach to support open innovation and collaboration with the life sciences industries.  Collectively they bring together recognized experience in current exploratory development protocols, expertise in pathophysiology and disease mechanisms and expertise in modeling. They enable technologies and infrastructure, including imaging, biobanks and accredited laboratory facilities. They also offer cohorts of well-characterized patients available for clinical development studies.

Further partnerships will be developed. NOCRI is working with a range of stakeholders to assess which disease and theraputic areas would benefit from this approach. NIHR biomedical research centers and units provide the bedrock of the first two NIHR partnerships and will form the basis of future partnerships.