GSK, Cambridge to Partner on R&D for Kidney and Respiratory Diseases

The global biopharma company GSK announced on Oct. 21, 2024 that it was investing £50 million (approximately US$65 million) into a five-year partnership with the University of Cambridge and Cambridge University Hospitals, nominally to treat immune-related diseases with existing as well as newly-developed therapies, but particularly in the two specific categories of kidney and respiratory diseases (1).

Called the Cambridge-GSK Translational Immunology Collaboration, the pairing draws upon the already existing scientific partnership between the two parties and aims to accelerate R&D with the end goal of improving patient outcomes—with Cambridge providing a unique environment in which to do so, according to the release (1).

“Collaboration is at the heart of scientific progress and is fundamental to how we do R&D at GSK,” Tony Wood, GSK chief scientific officer, said in the release. “We’re excited to build on our existing work with the University of Cambridge to further this world-leading scientific and technological capability in the UK [United Kingdom]. By bringing together Cambridge’s expertise and our own internal capabilities, including understanding of the immune system and the use of AI [artificial intelligence] to accelerate drug development, we have an opportunity to help patients struggling with complex disease.”

“The University sits at the heart of Europe’s leading life sciences cluster, where excellent research and the NHS [National Health Service]’s clinical resources combine with the talent generated by the many innovative bioscience companies that call Cambridge home,” Deborah Prentice, Cambridge vice-chancellor and professor, said in the release. “Through this very important collaboration with GSK, Cambridge will be able to drive economic growth for the UK while improving the health of people in this country and around the world.”

The announcement caught the eye of United Kingdom officials as well.

“The UK's life sciences industry is thriving, driving innovation and improving lives. This collaboration between GSK and the University of Cambridge demonstrates our country's leading research and development capabilities,” Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology Peter Kyle said in the press release. “By focusing on cutting-edge research and harnessing the power of AI, this has the potential to advance the treatment of immune-related diseases, which could benefit patients both here in the UK and internationally. It's a clear example of how collaboration between industry, academia, and healthcare can deliver tangible results and strengthen the UK's position in healthcare innovation."

Terms of another GSK partnership were announced in midsummer 2024, with the company saying on July 3 that it had restructured its existing collaboration with CureVac into a new licensing agreement—under which GSK acquired rights to develop, manufacture, and commercialize messenger RNA vaccine candidates for influenza and COVID-19 worldwide, while CureVac received €400 million (US$432 million) up front and up to an additional €1.05 billion (US$1.13 billion) in development, regulatory, and sales milestone payments, in addition to tiered royalties (2).

References

1. GSK. GSK and Cambridge University Announce New Five-Year Collaboration in Kidney and Respiratory Disease. Press Release. Oct. 21, 2024.
2. GSK. GSK and CureVac to Restructure Collaboration into New Licensing Agreement. Press Release. July 3, 2024.