VIB entered into an open-innovation collaboration to develop novel therapeutics for psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders. This collaboration between the laboratory of Bart De Strooper (VIB/K.U.Leuven) and the Janssen R&D Neuroscience team led by Eric Karran fits in a new model of research and development for novel therapeutics. VIB believes the collaboration has the potential to develop novel approaches to find medicines for diseases that cause, and will increasingly do so, huge unmet medical needs in our society. Neuropsychiatric disorders represent some of our most devastating illnesses. To tackle the challenges posed by the complex nature of these diseases, more and more large pharmaceutical companies are joining forces with leading academic research groups. VIB entered into a new type of collaboration to conduct open-innovation research. It allows resources to be applied in a flexible manner towards the most promising hypotheses emerging from basic science.
Bart De Strooper: “We are convinced that more results can be achieved by letting scientific creativity have free reign. This untraditional approach is a clear win-win for VIB. Our most-promising ideas can move into a drug-development program, surfing on the wealth of experience made available by a top pharmaceutical company.”
Rudy Dekeyser (Managing Director VIB): “I am very pleased to observe that leading pharmaceutical companies are open to entering into a partnership with VIB. Joining the expertise of Bart De Strooper and his team in medical biology with a top pharmaceutical company will undoubtedly spark new insights into these devastating diseases and enhance the chance to develop innovative therapies.”