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London, UK, 23rd February 2009 – ‘Imperial College London‘, ‘Cancer Research UK Centre for Cancer Therapeutics at The Institute of Cancer Research’, ‘ Drug Discovery Unit, University of Dundee’, ‘Cancer Research Technology (CRT)’, ‘MRC Technology’ and the ‘Wellcome Trust’, members of the new UK Drug Discovery Consortium, have announced their first symposium “21st Century Drug Discovery – a new approach” on March 11th, 2009 in central London.

By the time you read this press release 20 people will have been diagnosed with cancer worldwide and 10 people will have been infected with HIV. A further 2 children will have died from malaria and an estimated 7 people will have died from Tuberculosis. It is clear that new drugs are urgently needed for a wide range of diseases. Many potential groundbreaking treatments from academic laboratories never see the light of day owing to lack of resources and access to the necessary tools to turn a great idea into a clinical reality. The UK Drug Discovery Consortium has been set up to galvanise the drug discovery efforts in academia and help develop UK science towards treating patients who so desperately need new hope. The symposium on 11th March is all about raising awareness of the UKDDC such that academic scientists know where to come for help in developing their products and Pharmaceutical companies realise the wealth of great new drug ideas arising from UK science that they might wish to champion into the clinic.

Further information can be found at www.ukddc.org

Notes to Editors
About the UK Drug Discovery Consortium
The UK Drug Discovery Consortium is committed to improving human health via the discovery and development of novel small molecule therapeutics.

We aim to take biological targets arising from basic research into the drug discovery arena, and ultimately into new drugs to target unmet need.

UKDDC members are non-industry based drug discovery organisations, who conduct “pharma-like” drug discovery with the goal of partnering projects with pharma, biotech or public private partnerships, to ensure progression into the clinic.

Information about the founding UK Drug Discovery Consortium members: About Cancer Research UK Centre For Cancer Therapeutics at The Institute of Cancer Research The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) is Europe’s leading cancer research centre with expert scientists working on cutting edge research. In 2009, the ICR marks its 100 years of groundbreaking research into cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment. The ICR is home to the world’s leading academic drug development team which has developed many drugs now used as standard cancer treatments. It continues to be at the forefront of drug development, taking 10 cancer drugs to clinical trial in the past 10 years.

The ICR is a charity that relies on voluntary income. It is one of the world’s most cost-effective major cancer research organisations with more than 95p in every £ directly supporting research. For more information visit www.icr.ac.uk

About Cancer Research Technology: Cancer Research Technology Limited (CRT) is a specialist commercialisation and development company, which aims to develop new discoveries in cancer research for the benefit of cancer patients. CRT works closely with leading international cancer scientists and their institutes to protect intellectual property arising from their research and to establish links with commercial partners. CRT facilitates the discovery, development and marketing of new cancer therapeutics, vaccines, diagnostics and enabling technologies. CRT is wholly owned by Cancer Research UK, the largest independent funder of cancer research in the world.
About Imperial College London Consistently rated amongst the world's best universities, Imperial College London is a science-based institution with a reputation for excellence in teaching and research that attracts 13,000 students and 6,000 staff of the highest international quality. Innovative research at the College explores the interface between science, medicine, engineering and business, delivering practical solutions that improve quality of life and the environment - underpinned by a dynamic enterprise culture.

Since its foundation in 1907, Imperial's contributions to society have included the discovery of penicillin, the development of holography and the foundations of fibre optics. This commitment to the application of research for the benefit of all continues today, with current focuses including interdisciplinary collaborations to improve health in the UK and globally, tackle climate change and develop clean and sustainable sources of energy. Website: www.imperial.ac.uk

About MRC Technology, Drug Discovery Group MRCT is the exclusive commercialisation agent for the UK Medical Research Council, working to translate cutting edge scientific discoveries into commercial products. MRCT bridges the gap between innovative basic science and making medicine. By providing drug-like candidate molecules to innovative new drug targets, we give pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies new starting points for drug discovery and development, based on MRC advances in science. www.mrctechnology.org

About Drug Discovery Unit, University of Dundee The University of Dundee has an international reputation for excellence in life sciences and medical research with particular expertise in cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and tropical diseases. The University hosts research expanding from "the cell to the clinic to the community" , and has one of the largest medical research complexes in the United Kingdom. The University has an excellent track record in attracting research income and commercialising research activity. See www.dundee.ac.uk for further details. About Wellcome Trust The Wellcome Trust is the largest charity in the UK. It funds innovative biomedical research, in the UK and internationally, spending over £600 million each year to support the brightest scientists with the best ideas. The Wellcome Trust supports public debate about biomedical research and its impact on health and wellbeing. http://www.wellcome.ac.uk

Contact Information:
Medical Research Council Technology (MRCT):
Suzy Hargreaves
E-mail:   shargreaves@tech.mrc.ac.uk
Phone:   +44 (0)20 7391 2798