Manchester selected for translational medicine centre
pharmafile | March 19, 2008 | News story | Research and Development |Â Â Â
A new Biomedical Research Centre of excellence is to be created in Manchester to help the UK bridge the gap between cutting edge science and clinical practice.
The centre will specialise in translational medicine, a buzzword for an array of new techniques which are helping accelerate the development of basic medical research into treatments for patients.
The centre will build on the international research excellence of the partnership between the Central Manchester & Manchester Children's University Hospitals NHS Trust and the University of Manchester.
The city beat off competition from other UK research centres to host the site, and will join Centres in London, Oxford, Cambridge, Liverpool and Newcastle as part of a network of regional centres of excellence in research co-ordinated by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR).
The Manchester Biomedical Research Centre will undertake research on major killers such as heart disease, as well as other crucial areas such as inflammatory bowel disease, learning and developmental disabilities, and complications of pregnancy.
Specifically, this will mean harnessing genetic technologies to improve diagnosis and/or treatment in key areas such as:
* sudden cardiac death
* developmental disease, complex inflammatory disease, disadvantaged populations
* complications of pregnancy, neurofibromatosis
* adverse drug reactions
Health secretary Alan Johnson said: "Health research is vital for the health and wealth
of the nation. We want to create a world-class health research system in which the NHS supports people conducting leading-edge research and gives patients better access to ground-breaking new medicines and treatments."
"The new Biomedical Research Centre in Manchester will strengthen our drive to put the UK at the forefront of vital health research and contribute to the nation's international competitiveness as a major component of our knowledge economy.
"The investment the government is making in this new centre will also provide a major boost to innovation and economic development in Manchester and the North West."
Central Manchester and Manchester Children's University Hospitals NHS Trust chief executive Mike Deegan said: "This momentous decision means we can now embark on the final phase of a massive transformation project. Alongside our £500 million investment in new hospital buildings and facilities, the Trust and University will be able to deliver world class research that benefits patients both locally and globally.
"We will make sure that the communities which surround the Biomedical Research Centre also get additional benefit from jobs and new commercial opportunities."
The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) was launched on 1 April 2006 following the publication of the government's strategy Best Research for Best Health earlier that year, and is widely acknowledged to already be fostering a better research environment.
