Medical Research Council Technology's Centre for Therapeutics Discovery Opens its First 'Call For Targets' in an Effort to Develop Drugs in Areas of Serious Unmet Need

LONDON, February 4 - A major centre created by the Medical Research Council (MRC) and MRC
Technology (MRCT) in order to fast-track the discovery and development of
novel drugs, opens its first call for targets today.

The MRCT Centre for Therapeutics Discovery (CTD), based in London, is
seeking small molecule drug discovery and therapeutic antibody targets from
academic researchers.

The CTD would like to collaborate with scientists in all universities to
develop drug discovery projects targeting diseases for which there is
significant unmet need. The centre will apply state of the art computational
and medicinal chemistry to produce 'drug-like' molecules with the potential
to become therapies. It will also focus on developing novel antibody
therapies, bringing to bear its world-class expertise in antibody
humanization technology, which has already produced two marketed therapeutic
antibodies, with several more currently in clinical development.

As such, the CTD is also continuing to recruit and re-employ first class
scientists from Pharma companies to build and maintain a high quality drug
discovery capability within the UK.

In building the CTD, MRCT is helping to position the UK at the forefront
of academic based drug discovery World-wide, creating a Centre of Excellence
that Pharma companies will want to link to and hence maintain a Pharma
presence in the UK.

Scientists from academia will benefit from the wealth of the CTD's
expertise including provision of tool compounds and reagents (including
monoclonal antibodies) for further target validation and characterization
studies, in silico screening, and access to medicinal chemistry, screening
technologies and ADMET. CTD will also provide academia access to its
hybridoma production capability and its extensive antibody engineering and
expression expertise as well as its core antibody humanization skills. This
initiative will also enable UK scientists to tap into MRC's recently
announced Developmental Pathway Funding Scheme (DPFS) and collaborate with a
high quality drug discovery capability whilst retaining existing IP
ownership.

Dr David Tapolczay, MRCT's CEO explained: "This is a fantastic
opportunity for academics to have a dedicated centre with which to
collaborate and progress their science to deliver tangible clinical benefit.
In so doing, this initiative will help the UK to retain its world-leading
reputation for innovation in drug discovery."

Researchers are asked to visit www.callfortargets.org to request a
submission application form for their targets. Capacity for stage 1 on the
programme is limited, so researchers are encouraged to submit their targets
as soon as possible.

Notes to Editors

About MRCT's Centre for Therapeutics Discovery (CTD)

    - CTD' s Therapeutic Antibody group - no-one else has the
      capability to raise and humanise rodent monoclonals for clinical
      benefit.

    - Within the small molecule arena, our medicinal chemistry
      capability is extensively Pharma trained, which is not the norm for
      academic based drug discovery, where most other groups have been built
      primarily from academic based chemists. This gives us a distinct edge
      as our chemists have been involved in Pharma quality drug discovery for
      many years and have brought with them that experience.

    - The combination of having a small molecule as well as
      antibody drug discovery capability makes us unique.

About Medical Research Council Technology (MRCT)

MRCT is the exclusive commercialisation agent for the UK Medical Research
Council, working to translate cutting edge scientific discoveries into
commercial products. MRCT bridges the gap between innovative basic science
and making medicine. MRCT works to provide drug-like candidate molecules to
innovative new drug targets, and to translate innovative antibody-based drug
targets into potent and selective therapeutic antibody candidates giving
pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies new starting points for drug
discovery and development, based on MRC advances in science. MRCT's
Therapeutic Antibody Group scientists have a proven track record of success
in antibody humanization which extends over 20 years and has produced 10
clinical candidates and two regulatory approved humanized antibodies:
Elan/Biogen Idec's Tysabri(R) and Chugai/Roche's Actemra(R).
www.mrctechnology.org

About Medical Research Council

For almost 100 years the Medical Research Council has improved the health
of people in the UK and around the world by supporting the highest quality
science. The MRC invests in world-class scientists. It has produced 29 Nobel
Prize winners and sustains a flourishing environment for internationally
recognised research. The MRC focuses on making an impact and provides the
financial muscle and scientific expertise behind medical breakthroughs,
including the first antibiotic penicillin, the structure of DNA and the
lethal link between smoking and cancer. Today MRC funded scientists tackle
research into the major health challenges of the 21st century.
www.mrc.ac.uk

Press Release Reference: MRCT040210

    Contact Information:

    Medical Research Council Technology (MRCT):
    Jan Coates
    Business Development Officer
    MRC Technology
    E-mail: jan.coates@tech.mrc.ac.uk
    Phone: +44(0)20-8906-7183
    Website: www.mrctechnology.org

Contact Information: Medical Research Council Technology (MRCT): Jan Coates, Business Development Officer, MRC Technology, E-mail: jan.coates at tech.mrc.ac.uk, Phone: +44(0)20-8906-7183