Singapore: Boehringer Ingelheim has established a translational research collaboration with the presidents and fellows of Harvard College. The goal of the collaboration is for the scientists of Boehringer Ingelheim to work together with the scientific community of Harvard to advance knowledge in areas of high unmet medical need. The focus of the different research projects is to identify and investigate novel signaling pathways and drug targets in oncology, cardiometabolic, fibrotic and infectious diseases.

Under an agreement negotiated between Boehringer Ingelheim and Harvard's Office of Technology Development, the collaboration will sponsor a variety of research projects by awarding funds to support proposals selected by a joint research committee comprised of representatives from the Harvard Medical School ICCB-Longwood Screening Facility, various Harvard Affiliated Institutions and Boehringer Ingelheim. The funding will enable the Harvard research community to address several RNAi screening projects using specifically tailored screening systems.

To date, the collaboration has selected and supported eight projects of scientific and educational value in the areas of cancer stem cell survival, replication of detrimental viruses and fibrotic processes. The results of the funded projects will enhance our knowledge in the area of innovative healthcare solutions.

Dr Adrian Carter, corporate vice president of Global Research Networking at Boehringer Ingelheim, said, "We are very pleased to sponsor the joint research programs by the distinguished scientists at Harvard in these important fields of medical need" said Dr Adrian Carter, corporate vice president of Global Research Networking at Boehringer Ingelheim. He continued, "We believe that this research collaboration with Harvard will help us create new medicines for a variety of important diseases that afflict our society today."

The Harvard Office of Technology Development is responsible for all activities pertaining to the evaluation, patenting and licensing of new inventions and discoveries made at Harvard University and Harvard Medical School.