Harvard stem cell research gets boost
GlaxoSmithKline promises $25m
British drug giant GlaxoSmithKline has agreed to sponsor at least $25 million in work at the Harvard Stem Cell Institute in Cambridge, one of the largest investments in stem cell research ever by a major pharmaceuticals company.
As part of the five-year agreement, GlaxoSmithKline has agreed to support research at Harvard University and four Harvard-affiliated hospitals to try to find cures for cancer, obesity, diabetes, and neurological, cardiac, and musculoskeletal diseases. The company also agreed to help fund Harvard's "seed grant" program, which supports early stage research.
"We think stem cell research has huge potential to aid in the discovery of new medicines," said GlaxoSmithKline spokeswoman Melinda Stubbee.
Brock Reeve, executive director of the stem cell institute, said the pact marks a turning point. Until recently, most major pharmaceutical companies shied away from investing significant amounts of money in stem cell work because they thought the research wasn't mature enough to create life-saving drugs.
"Now we have started to see that change," Reeve said.
For instance, Pfizer Inc., one of the world's biggest drug companies, launched a stem cell research unit in April with offices in the United Kingdom and Cambridge. Pfizer says it hopes to have 20 scientists in the Cambridge office soon.
And GlaxoSmithKline signed a pact with OncoMed Pharmaceuticals Inc. last December to develop drugs that attack cancer stem cells.
The company's collaboration with Harvard will also involve researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital, Joslin Diabetes Center, Brigham and Women's Hospital, and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Harvard officials said the parties will share the rights to any discoveries they make together, even though GlaxoSmithKline is funding the work.
Some smaller companies were quicker to focus on stem cell research, such as Advanced Cell Technology Inc. of Worcester and Geron Corp. of Menlo Park, Calif. But they have faced challenges.
Advanced Cell Technology recently warned that it will be forced to sharply curtail its operations or close altogether if it can't raise additional cash by July 31. In May, the Food and Drug Administration ordered Geron to postpone a clinical trial for its first embryonic stem cell product because of safety concerns. Last month, however, Geron chief executive Thomas Okarma told investors the company is working through the issues with the FDA and expects to launch the trial later this year.
Todd Wallack can be reached at twallack@globe.com. 