UCLB News
UCL wins grant award to develop MS therapy from the U.S. National MS Society, Fast Forward group
13 January 2016
Innovative work into multiple sclerosis (MS) and other neurodegenerative conditions has been recognized by the U.S. National MS Society through Fast Forward and secured a major development grant.
Stemming from key research also funded by the Fast Forward group, carried out by Professor David Selwood and his team from UCL in partnership with Professor David Baker from Queen Mary University of London, this follow-on-study will be instrumental in furthering the clinical development of newly identified pre-clinical drug candidates which show strong potential for the therapeutic prevention of nerve loss in people who have MS.
Professor Selwood said, “We are delighted to be funded to continue the development of these exciting prototype medicines targeted at reducing nerve loss in people with the progressive form of MS.”
“The UCL team has made considerable progress on the development of compounds aimed at reducing demyelination and nerve loss in MS. This award enables pharmacologic improvements to those compounds to optimize potency while minimizing toxicity, thereby advancing a candidate drug towards the clinic,” said Mark Allegretta, PhD, Associate Vice President of Commercial Research at the National MS Society.
UCL Business PLC (UCLB), the technology-transfer company of University College London has provided grant application support and owns filed patents relating to this technology.
About UCLB
UCL Business PLC (UCLB) is a leading technology transfer company that supports and commercialises research and innovations arising from UCL, one of the UK’s top research-led universities. UCLB has a successful track record and a strong reputation for identifying and protecting promising new technologies and innovations from UCL academics. UCLB has a strong track record in commercialising medical technologies and provides technology transfer services to UCL’s associated hospitals; University College London Hospitals, Moorfields Eye Hospital, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children and the Royal Free London Hospital. It invests directly in development projects to maximise the potential of the research and manages the commercialisation process of technologies from laboratory to market.
For further information, please visit: www.uclb.com
About Fast Forward
Developing new treatments for people with MS requires continuing research discovery and knowledge – and driving the commercial development of those findings into treatments. Facilitation of commercial development is the part of the equation Fast Forward focuses on.
Fast Forward deploys an innovative funding model, one that creates availability through both a General Fund as well as a Collaborative Fund approach. This unique model offers a wide range of available funding, on a rolling RFP basis as well as additional, specific RFP cycles.