Seven Major Biotech Companies Join Hands to Support Pre-Clinical Neuroscience

Last week at the 2012 BIO International Convention, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick and seven well-known biotech companies – Abbott, Biogen Idec, EMD Serono, Janssen Research & Development, LLC, Merck, Pfizer, and Sunovion – announced the launch of the Massachusetts Neuroscience Consortium.

As reported in the Boston Globe and on the Governor’s website, this new consortium aims to foster collaborations between industry and academia by funding pre-clinical neuroscience research in the state’s colleges and universities. The total initial funding is $1.75 million. In addition to leaders from the state government and pharmaceutical industry, the announcement at BIO was attended by academic leaders such as the Dean of Harvard Medical School, individuals suffering from illnesses such as multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer’s, and heads of patient advocacy groups such as the Alzheimer’s Association.

Michael Ehlers, Chief Scientific Officer for Pfizer Neuroscience, commented on the importance of this collaboration for those suffering from mental illness as well as other nervous system disorders, saying in a prepared statement, “This collaboration is a step forward in our effort to address the urgent need for therapies in neurologic and psychiatric disease.”