Oct. 19, 2017 - Harvard University has established a 3-year strategic research alliance with Servier to support multiple, multi-year research projects that will focus on the development of innovative therapeutics across disease areas of mutual interest.
Under the new research alliance, coordinated by Harvard's Office of Technology Development, Servier will support a number of faculty-initiated research projects at Harvard, identifying these projects through a request for proposals in two funding cycles. Harvard and Servier anticipate a range of projects spanning exploratory investigations of biological mechanisms, to identification of possible targets, or to preclinical validation of targets and leads.
Visiting scientists from Servier will also have the opportunity to collaborate directly with Harvard researchers, gaining new expertise in areas of biomedical science and enriching the academic perspective with their experience in drug development.
"Collaborations between academic scientists and our colleagues in industry are crucial to advance discovery in areas of therapeutic relevance and to speed the adoption of promising new therapies," said Isaac T. Kohlberg, Harvard's Senior Associate Provost and Chief Technology Development Officer. "Investigations by Harvard researchers can lay the groundwork for life-changing medical advances. We are pleased to embark on this strategic alliance to identify and support research of great importance to the battle against chronic diseases."
For Servier, the alliance represents a major milestone in the international pharmaceutical company's ambition to build a footprint in the research hub of Boston and Cambridge.
"Access to cutting-edge science is fundamental to the growth of Servier's R&D portfolio. We are delighted to build on our existing good relations with Harvard University and excited at the prospect of identifying new collaboration opportunities," said Claude Bertrand, Servier's General Director of Research and Development, CSO.
Projects may be selected from labs across Harvard University, including in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Harvard Medical School, the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, or the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.
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About Harvard University's Office of Technology Development
Harvard's Office of Technology Development (OTD) promotes the public good by fostering innovation and translating new inventions made at Harvard University into useful products that are available and beneficial to society. Our integrated approach to technology development comprises sponsored research and corporate alliances, intellectual property management, and technology commercialization through venture creation and licensing. To bridge the academic-industry development gap, Harvard OTD also manages the Blavatnik Biomedical Accelerator and the Physical Sciences & Engineering Accelerator. For more information, please visit http://otd.harvard.edu.