Eisai and UK Dementia Research Institute Jointly Launch New Post-Doctoral Programme to Accelerate Dementia Research

May 08, 2019 09:37 JST

Source: Eisai

TOKYO, May 08, 2019 - (JCN Newswire) - Eisai Co., Ltd. and the UK Dementia Research Institute (UK DRI) announced today the launch of a joint post-doctoral programme to support the advancement of novel dementia research. This first-of-its-kind industry collaboration for the UK DRI aims to deliver innovative research that may translate into improvements in diagnosis, treatment and prevention of all types of dementia.

There are an estimated approximately 50 million dementia patients worldwide. As the ageing of the global population gathers pace, the number of dementia patients worldwide is expected to follow this trend, with the total number of people with dementia projected to reach 82 million in 2030 and 152 million in 2050.(1)

To combat this global issue the UK DRI draws together world-leading expertise into a single national institute that conducts research into all aspects of dementia including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, frontotemporal dementia, vascular dementia, and Huntington's disease. Under this joint programme, a grant will be provided to post-doctoral researchers engaged in dementia research from 2019 to 2023.

Researchers will benefit from both the UK DRI's state-of-the-art research facilities and Eisai's drug discovery and translational expertise, and will support the work of the organisation in striving to elucidate novel drug discovery targets and mechanisms, develop novel dementia models, and accelerate the linkage of these research results to diagnostics, treatment and care.

"This collaboration is a wonderful example of UK DRI's desire to work with industry for the greater good of dementia science and patient outcomes. We are grateful for the investment and partnership of Eisai, and indeed for the work of all the dedicated researchers trying to move to new frontiers in conquering dementia. We look forward to seeing more fresh thinking on dementia, and to welcoming our colleagues at Eisai to the UK DRI community of ideas and energy," said Dr. Adrian Ivinson, UK DRI Director and COO.

"Eisai is delighted to be able to initiate this joint programme with the UK DRI, the world's largest dementia research institute." said Dr. Teiji Kimura, Chief Discovery Officer of the Eisai Neurology Business Group. "As the UK DRI's first joint programme with a private company, this programme is a highly unique attempt to provide an environment in which post-doctorate researchers engaged in the world's latest dementia research in the UK will be able to demonstrate the full potential of their capabilities. Under this programme, we hope to realize groundbreaking ideas that can be connected with dementia treatment."

Eisai has been conducting research on neurodegenerative diseases in the UK since 1990. In 2012 the company began a research collaboration with University College London (UCL) which will run until 2023 and was established as part of the company's 'Open Innovation' strategy to collaborate with leading researchers and translate new research findings into innovative treatments for patients with neurodegenerative diseases.

About the UK Dementia Research Institute (UK DRI)

Funded by the Medical Research Council, Alzheimer's Society and Alzheimer's Research UK, the UK DRI draws world-leaders in dementia research into a single national institute. University College London (UCL) is home to the operational headquarters of the UK DRI and forms the hub for research activities across the six national research centres, which are at UCL, the University of Cambridge, Cardiff University, the University of Edinburgh, Imperial College London and King's College London. By convening world-class dementia researchers to bring about ground-breaking approaches to dementia defined by close collaboration and access to exceptional research resources, the UK DRI aims to find better ways to care for patients.

(1) Alzheimer's Disease International. World Alzheimer Report 2018. https://www.alz.co.uk/research/world-report-2018 (Last accessed March 2019).

Contact:

Media Inquiries:

Eisai Co., Ltd.
Public Relations Department 
Tel: +81-(0)3-3817-5120

UK Dementia Research Institute 
Lucy Wilson
Tel: +44 (0)20 3108 6853
Lucy.Wilson@ucl.ac.uk

Source: Eisai
Sectors: BioTech