New agreement seeks to speed up UK research
pharmafile | February 25, 2011 | News story | Research and Development | BIA, Industry Collaborative Research Agreement, MRC, Medical Research Council, National Institute for Health Research, Office for Clinical Research Infrastructure, UK research, clinical research, mICRA
The government has revised the research contracting process in a bid to streamline research between pharma and biotech companies, universities and the NHS.
Its new model Industry Collaborative Research Agreement (mICRA) should allow research to start faster by shortening the negotiation and contracting process
Health Minister Lord Howe said: “Partnerships between industry, NHS and universities are becoming one of the most important routes for the development of new and improved treatments for the benefit of patients.
“The expert clinical researchers and research infrastructure we fund through the National Institute for Health Research are world-class resources and the launch of mICRA should remove some of the barriers so they can start their research quicker and help to deliver better treatments to more patients, faster.”
The move is part of the coalition government’s aim to promote the development of new and improved treatments for patients by reducing bureaucracy and supporting a “flourishing research environment”.
The model agreement has been drafted to allow it to be used as a template for contracts covering any or all stages of clinical research undertaken collaboratively, from early proposals for collaboration and beyond.
One of the key features of the agreement is a series of options for handling the ownership of any intellectual property rights resulting from the collaboration with a guide to help collaboration partners decide which option is best suited to their needs.
The National Institute for Health Research through its Office for Clinical Research Infrastructure (NOCRI) and the Medical Research Council have led a working group to develop the agreement.
This brought together representatives from industry, universities and the NHS, along with the Intellectual Property Office and legal representatives to develop a range of templates that can be used to support all collaborative research scenarios.
Nigel Gaymond, BioIndustry Association chief executive, welcomed the collaboration. “The introduction of the mICRA will help speed the start of the collaborations between universities, the NHS and the life sciences industry, which are a key part of the development of new treatments,” he said.
Gaymond added that he would encourage the BIA’s members to make “full use” of the mICRA to help reduce unnecessary delays in research.
Ben Adams
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