Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Joins Pool for Open Innovation against Neglected Tropical Diseases
– Leading U.S. University Becomes First Academic Institution to Contribute Patents to Aid Advancement and Accelerate Access of Medicines for Neglected Diseases –
Chicago – May 5, 2010
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) today became the first academic institution to contribute intellectual property to the Pool for Open Innovation against Neglected Tropical Diseases. MIT joins GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in contributing patents to the pool, which is administered by BIO Ventures for Global Health (BVGH). The Pool for Open Innovation seeks to motivate innovative and efficient drug discovery and development by opening access to intellectual property or knowhow
in neglected tropical disease research. MIT’s contribution of patents to the pool is a landmark step from one of the world’s leading research institutions toward providing access to intellectual property for use by neglected tropical disease researchers.
By emphasizing a more accessible approach to intellectual property and know-how, the Pool for Open Innovation facilitates access to patents and/or technologies for organizations that want to conduct research on treatments for these neglected diseases. To date, there are more than 2,300 patents in the pool. The pool will be accessible to industry, non-profit institutions, and academic researchers to conduct research and drug development activities that deliver real benefits for patients in the least developed countries of the world.
“We are proud to be joining GSK, Alnylam, and BIO Ventures for Global Health in this important initiative. By rethinking the traditional approach to intellectual property, the Pool for Open Innovation has created a dynamic new mechanism for ensuring access to MIT’s groundbreaking new technologies for research efforts on neglected tropical diseases in the world’s least developed countries. We look forward to seeing the work of the Institute’s researchers aid in the discovery and development of new therapies for the millions of people affected by these diseases every year,” said Lita Nelsen, Director of the Technology Licensing Office of MIT.
“MIT has long been a visionary academic institution, as they have proved once again by becoming the first university to contribute patents to the Pool for Open Innovation. MIT’s contribution provides further evidence of the potential for innovative approaches to research and development to address diseases of the developing world,” said Melinda Moree, Chief Executive Officer of BIO Ventures for Global Health. “Through the growth of this initiative, we believe that we can reduce transaction time and costs and increase the efficiency and speed for the development of medicines for people afflicted with neglected diseases in the developing world.”
About the Pool for Open Innovation against Neglected Tropical Diseases
The Pool for Open Innovation was established in February 2009 with the mission of motivating innovative and efficient drug discovery and development by opening access to intellectual property or know-how in neglected tropical disease research. The diseases targeted by the pool are the 16 diseases identified by the FDA for its own Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) initiative: tuberculosis, malaria, blinding trachoma, buruli ulcer, cholera, dengue/dengue haemorrhagic fever, racunculiasis, fascioliasis, human African trypanosomiasis, leishmaniasis, leprosy, lymphatic filariasis, onchocerciasis, schistosomiasis, soil transmitted helminthiasis, and yaws. The geographic focus of the pool will be the world’s Least Developed Countries as identified by the United Nations and includes much of western and central Africa as well as several countries in Southeast Asia. GlaxoSmithKline became the first major pharmaceutical company to propose a pool for neglected tropical disease in February 2009; Alnylam Pharmaceuticals joined the pool in July 2009 and BIO Ventures for Global Health was chosen as the administrator of the pool in January 2010. In January 2010 it was announced that the Emory Institute for Drug Development and iThemba Pharmaceuticals joined the pool to access its know-how, experience, and intellectual property to accelerate their drug discovery initiatives for NTDs.
About BIO Ventures for Global Health
BIO Ventures for Global Health is a non-profit organization whose mission is to save lives by accelerating the development of novel biotechnology-based drugs, vaccines, and diagnostics to address the unmet medical needs of the developing world. The organization spurs biotech industry involvement in global health product development by increasing biotech and global health partnerships, designing and advocating for compelling market-based incentives, and synthesizing and disseminating critical information and quantitative analysis. For more information, please visit www.bvgh.org.
About GlaxoSmithKline
One of the world’s leading research-based pharmaceutical and healthcare companies – is committed to improving the quality of human life by enabling people to do more, feel better and live longer. For further information, please visit www.gsk.com.
About Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: ALNY)
Alnylam is a biopharmaceutical company developing novel therapeutics based on RNA interference, or RNAi. The company is applying its therapeutic expertise in RNAi to address significant medical needs, many of which cannot effectively be addressed with small molecules or antibodies, the current major classes of drugs. Alnylam is leading the translation of RNAi as a new class of innovative medicines with peer-reviewed research efforts published in the world’s top scientific journals including Nature, Nature Medicine, and Cell. The company is leveraging these capabilities to build a broad pipeline of RNAi therapeutics for the treatment of a wide range of disease areas, including respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), liver cancers, TTR-mediated amyloidosis (ATTR), hypercholesterolemia, and Huntington’s disease. In addition, Alnylam formed Alnylam Biotherapeutics, a division of the company focused on the development of RNAi technologies for application in manufacturing processes for biotherapeutic products, including recombinant proteins and monoclonal antibodies. The company’s leadership position in fundamental patents, technology, and know-how relating to RNAi has enabled it to form major alliances with leading companies including Medtronic, Novartis, Biogen Idec, Roche, Takeda, Kyowa Hakko Kirin, and Cubist. Alnylam and Isis are joint owners of Regulus Therapeutics Inc., a company focused on the discovery, development, and commercialization of microRNA-based therapeutics. Founded in 2002, Alnylam maintains headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts. For more information, please visit www.alnylam.com.
For additional information, contact:
Molly Polen, Director of Communications, BIO Ventures for Global Health 202-470-6232