The University of Queensland and global pharmaceutical company Pfizer have formed a partnership to advance drug discovery in Australia.

The agreement with UniQuest, UQ’s main commercialisation company, is part of Pfizer’s Centers for Therapeutic Innovation (CTI) program.

UQ Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor Robyn Ward said the alliance would enable collaboration between UQ researchers and Pfizer, with the aim of speeding drug discovery and development.

“The agreement combines UQ’s research excellence with Pfizer’s extensive drug discovery and development experience, technology and resources,” Professor Ward said.

“It offers new opportunities to develop effective treatments for challenging medical conditions that affect people around the world.

“UQ has considerable strength and commitment in therapeutic research, and this agreement is another example of our strategic approach to expanding capability and expertise that is closely aligned with industry priorities.”

Under the agreement, UQ researchers would have access to Pfizer’s world-class drug discovery and development capabilities.

Pfizer Australia Chairman and Managing Director David Gallagher said the company was proud to be linked with a research institution as reputable as UQ.

“Research and development partnerships are an important part of delivering on Pfizer’s mission to discover treatments for the most challenging diseases of our time,” Mr Gallagher said.

“UQ is home to some of the best and brightest research minds in the country and there is so much we can learn by working together.”

He said the aim of the partnership was to accelerate translational research projects and advance them from the lab to clinical trials.

Pfizer’s CTI founder and Chief Scientific Officer Dr Anthony Coyle (above left) said the program, launched in 2010, was a unique model for academic-industry collaboration.

“It aims to bridge the gap between early scientific discovery and its translation into new medicines,” Dr Coyle said.

“The ultimate goal is to identify validated drug candidates from institutions of research excellence and develop them through to clinical testing.”

UniQuest chief executive Dr Dean Moss said the partnership reflected the value of UQ’s industry engagement strategy.

“This further emphasises UQ’s commitment to building industry relationships and our desire to translate world class biology into potential treatments for unmet medical needs."

Media: Nicole Cowan, n.cowan@uniquest.com.au, +61 7 3365 7480, +61 (0)409 767 199; Lee Davelaar, Pfizer Australia, +61 (0)475 949 982.