Driving the growth of enabling technologies in regenerative medicine

Posted: 01/04/2010

Press release prepared by Horizonworks Marketing for regeNer8. Date of release 1 April 2010.

regeNer8, the Centre for Translational Regenerative Medicine, brings together the work of the North of England’s top scientists to advance and accelerate the development of regenerative medicine therapies and bring them through clinic to market.

In 2009, regeNer8 launched a new initiative aimed at encouraging collaboration between the sector’s academics, clinicians and industry professionals. The Translational Medicine Award was announced at a special event in October and attended by some of the regions leading clinicians and researchers.

The Award was aimed at generating innovative solutions to unmet clinical needs in regenerative medicine and to help boost the economy in the North of England through the development, and eventual commercialisation, of regenerative medicine therapies.

At the event, regeNer8 members were presented with three clinical challenges, which they had the opportunity to discuss with potential industry partners through a series of facilitated workshops. The members went on to form consortia with other regenerative medicine experts from academia and industry to develop project proposals which addressed the clinical need, competing for a share of significant funding. The winning projects were announced in November 2009 at regeNer8’s second anniversary meeting.

Following the success of the Award, regeNer8 launched an industry challenge in February 2010 which focussed more closely on industry needs. The event was supported by the Technology Strategy Board (TSB) and was themed around the £21.5m programme in Regenerative Medicine that the TSB are driving, in particular the two collaborative projects which were announced today:

regeNer8 will be organising more Industry Challenge events in 2010 which will comprise of facilitated workshop sessions to help solve challenges related to regenerative medicine. These events attract leading national and international experts from our sector as well as potential national funders and encourage collaboration between the sector’s academics, clinicians and industry professionals that are part of the regeNer8 network.