Shionogi has joined the Cambridge Therapeutics Consortium. Launched in July 2015, the consortium links the intellectual know-how of several world renowned academic institutions with the drug developing potential of the pharmaceutical industry.

The consortium unites the world leading research potential of the University of Cambridge and its partner institutions, the Babraham Institute and the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, with pharmaceutical companies Astex Pharmaceuticals, AstraZeneca, GlaxoSmithKline and Shionogi. The overarching aim for this innovative partnership model is to study and develop precision medicines for some of the most globally devastating diseases.

Researchers at the University of Cambridge (U.K.) and its partner institutions can access novel therapeutic agents (including small molecules and antibodies) across the entire portfolio of drugs being developed by each of the participating companies, enabling them to investigate their mechanism, efficacy and potential. The terms of the consortium allow researchers to access and share information quickly and easily. Funding is provided for joint research projects and the results of these collaborative projects will lead to joint publications supporting a culture of open innovation and partnership.