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Non-profit for R&D challenges debuts

September 20, 2012 12:39 AM UTC

A group of 10 pharmas launched TransCelerate BioPharma Inc. (Philadelphia, Pa.), a not-for-profit that seeks to identify and solve common drug development challenges to improve the quality of clinical trials and accelerate drug development. The company will initially focus on improving clinical trial execution through five projects: development of a shared user interface for investigator site portals; mutual recognition of study site qualification and training; development of risk-based site monitoring approaches and standards; development of clinical data standards; and establishment of a comparator drug supply model. TransCelerate expects to meet milestones for each project by mid-2013.

The founding companies will provide undisclosed funding and personnel to TransCelerate. The companies include Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT); AstraZeneca plc (LSE:AZN; NYSE:AZN); Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH (Ingelheim, Germany); Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. (NYSE:BMY); Eli Lilly and Co. (NYSE:LLY); GlaxoSmithKline plc (LSE:GSK; NYSE:GSK); Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ); Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE); the Genentech Inc. unit of Roche (SIX:ROG; OTCQX:RHHBY); and Sanofi (Euronext:SAN; NYSE:SNY). ...