US-Russian Initiative in Life Science cooperation

Print 06 May 2013
Northern Biopharmaceutical Cluster

The Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology and the University of Wisconsin announce a non-exclusive consortium developing innovative therapeutics aimed at improvement of human and animal health.

Washington, DC, April 24, 2013 – The Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology Biopharmaceutical cluster “Northern” (BPCN@MIPT), the Wisconsin Technology Innovation Initiative, Inc. (Wi2) (formed to support the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health), and ChemDiv Research Institute (ChemDiv) announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to form a non-exclusive consortium developing innovative therapeutics aimed at improvement of human and animal health. The official signing ceremony was held at the U.S.-Russia Innovation Working Group Meeting with the participation of Vladislav Surkov, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation; Robert D. Hormats, Under-Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy and the Environment of the USA; Oleg Fomichev, Deputy Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation; and others.

The overall aim of this Research and Development consortium is to jointly develop and market molecules, biological materials, medical devices, diagnostics, and other technologies and data resulting from Wi2, BPCN@MIPT and ChemDiv technologies. These platforms may include specialized training of research and clinical personnel, software programs and databases for digital healthcare.

Wi2 is a one of a kind non-profit organization formed to facilitate the translation of innovations into applied uses. The work of Wi2 is done in collaboration with the private sector, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and other institutions nationally and internationally.

In accordance with the agreement terms, Wi2 will provide access to technologies in the fields of cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, and metabolic diseases, and will facilitate the transition of innovative technology developed at the University of Wisconsin into the marketplace. Wi2 will organize and finance a Translational Development Team (TDT) for each research platform through contributions by the other parties, grants obtained by Wi2, and, in the longer term, royalties derived from licensing of technologies resulting for the pre-commercialization efforts.

BPCN@MIPT provides access to technologies in the fields of biomed engineering and biophysics and innovative pharmaceuticals development. BPCN@MIPT also provides technological platforms and access to a highly diverse group of researchers of Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT) and other cluster members including biophysicists, chemists, biochemists as well as computational scientists, advancing the interdisciplinary field of physics and the biophysics of excitable and self-organizing systems.

ChemDiv Research Institute, as a global CRO with 20 years experience in the life science industry, is a leading provider of integrated services to major pharmaceutical and biotech companies. ChemDiv grants access to its proprietary technologies such as protein engineering, production, structural biology and structure-based drug discovery, medicinal chemistry, scale-up, biochemical and cellular assay development, analytical/bioanalytical platforms, ADME/tox, DMPK and multiple in vivo efficacy/toxicology models. 
BPCN@MIPT and ChemDiv will jointly promote the collaborative platforms to a pre-approved set of global partners (including major pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies).

“We are very enthusiastic about this partnership. It is important to us to build and leverage international networks in order to be on the frontier of research, education, and innovation”, said Oleg Korzinov, Executive Director of BPCN@MIPT. “Now, building this subsequent three way relationship with ChemDiv and Wi2 is of exceptional value due to their unique expertise and high profile. We are confident that this is the start of a strong and synergistic collaboration that will yield novel technologies and treatments for diseases with unmet medical needs.”

Richard L Moss, PhD, U.W. Professor and Chief Scientific Officer of Wi2: “We are delighted with the new partnership for the opportunities it provides in the commercialization of innovative platform technologies originating from the School of Medicine and Public Health (University of Wisconsin), from our consortium partners, and elsewhere. Global outreach and public-private partnerships have the potential to promote the translation of discoveries from the laboratory to clinical care. This agreement promises to accelerate translation and address the needs of rapidly growing markets. The Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology is a world-class research institution in Russia and a strong ally in commercialization, with advanced capabilities in infrastructure, fundamental expertise, and essential human resources in research and development. We are also very excited about our private partner, ChemDiv, which is leading CRO focused on developing pharmaceutical in Russia”. 

Detailed descriptions of the three partners:

The Wisconsin Technology Innovation Initiative, Inc. (“Wi2”) is a 501(c)(3) corporation organized for charitable, scientific, and educational purposes; to engage in activities related to the aforementioned purposes; to invest in, receive, hold, use, and dispose of property as may be necessary or desirable to carry into effect these purposes. Without intending to limit any of the foregoing, the specific purposes of Wi2 include:

• Facilitate the development of innovative therapeutics to improve human and animal health by alleviating the effects of disease;
• Provide opportunities for education of University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health (“SMPH”) students in the process of medical product development;
• Provide opportunities for outreach by faculty and staff of the SMPH to enable them to use their skills in this development process and thereby gain experience and improve their professional skills and abilities for use at the SMPH;
• Support the stated mission of the University of Wisconsin (“UW”) by facilitating the transition into the marketplace of useful technology developed at the UW and other research institutions;
• Engage in any other lawful activities in furtherance of the above purposes.

Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology Biopharmaceutical cluster “Northern” (BPCN@MIPT) is a non-profit partnership of leading enterprises of the pharmaceutical and medical industry, research institutes and medical institutions, and small innovative companies on the base of the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology. BPCN is organized to work on the following issues:

• Integration of academic and applied science and high technology business in pharmaceutical and medical industries by development and business-incubation of small innovative enterprises (start-ups);
• Establishment of financing systems of scientific research projects as part of its private-state partnership;
• Development of complementary infrastructure and material and technical base of participants of the BCPN;
• Hunting, training and re-training of a new-type staff for research and business activity in innovative high-technology business;
• Image making and promotion in professional society and general public of the Cluster and its participants as a centre for innovative development of national pharmaceutical and medical industries.

MIPT is a leading Russian university organized for scientific and educational purposes; possessing a status of national research university has a network of more than 150 scientific, research and industrial partners in Russia. Without intending to limit any of the foregoing, the MIPT’s specific areas of educational, scientific and research activities include:

1. Applied Mathematics and Physics
2. Applied Mathematics and Computer Science
3. Biotechnology and biomedical engineering
4. Pharmaceutical drug development
5. Computer Security
6. Motion Control Systems and Navigation
7. Systems Analysis and Control

The work of MIPT in the life sciences is supported by the Federal Target Program “PharmMed2020” administered by the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation and infrastructure and research programs of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation.

ChemDiv Research Institute is a Russian fully integrated target-to-clinic contract research organization (CRO). It is organized for scientific and commercial purposes; to engage in activities related to the aforementioned purposes; to invest in, receive, hold, use, and dispose of property as may be necessary or desirable to carry into effect the aforementioned purposes. Without intending to limit any of the foregoing, the ChemDiv’s specific purposes include the following:

• Operate multiple research and development (R&D) subsidiaries in Russia, Ukraine and China as well as business and logistics operations around the world.
• Engage pharmaceutical and biotech partners by offering 'one stop' drug discovery and development services based on different collaborative models.
• Perform professional custom-tailored assistance in R&D Chemistry, Biology and Clinical needs of oncology-, CNS-, metabolic-, anti-inflammatory and antiviral therapies.

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