UCSF, CDRD Partner To Address ‘Valley of Death' In Drug Development

By Cyndi Root

The University of California San Francisco (UCSF) and The Center for Drug Research and Development (CDRD) have partnered to address the ‘Valley of Death’, the phase between therapy discovery and commercialization. UCSF announced the partnership in a press release, stating that the collaboration seeks to take the University’s laboratory inventions into the marketing stage.

Jeff Bluestone, PhD, UCSF Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost, said, “We now have a framework under which UCSF scientists can have their most promising work validated and developed for commercial use without having to shift their attention from what they do best, which is research. This agreement plays to the strengths of both institutions, and represents translational science at its best.”

UCSF and CDRD Agreement

The collaboration between UCSF and CDRD, based in Vancouver, Canada, is the first U.S. partnership for CDRD. Oxford University, the University of Tokyo, and the University of Sydney have similar agreements with CDRD. Gregorio Aversa, PhD, SVP of drug development at CDRD, commented on the new partnership with UCSF, “The global commercialization of health research is paramount to CDRD’s mission, so we welcome the opportunity to shepherd potential new therapeutics through the risk-filled phase between discovery and development.”

The agreement between CDRD and UCSF calls for CDRD to take on the financial burden of developing treatments at its non-profit drug development center. The collaborative affiliation will identify potential medications that may be attractive to private sector partners so that promising medications are not lost in the “Valley of Death.” CDRD scientists intend to visit UCSF in November 2014 to meet with UCSF researchers, Kaley Wilson, PhD, associate director of partnerships at UCSF.

CDRD Discoveries

CDRD published its product portfolio, including those medical innovations in discussion, incubating, approved, and commercialized. Most of the institution’s focus is on neuroscience, metabolic diseases, infectious diseases, and oncology. The institution has successfully commercialized treatments for colorectal, breast, and bladder cancer, as well as type 1 diabetes and influenza. CDRD works with industry to fund its commercialization efforts. Pfizer, GlaxoSmithKline, and Johnson & Johnson have all provided funding and industry expertise to help develop project plans.