Advancing novel therapies for neurodegeneration through an innovative model for industry–academia collaborations: A decade of the Eisai–UCL experience

• Published in: Drug discovery today Vol. 28; no. 10; p. 103732
• Main Authors: Atkinson, Peter J., Swami, Meera, Ridgway, Nicola, Roberts, Malcolm, Kinghorn, Jane, Warner, Thomas T., Staddon, James M., Takle, Andrew K.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.10.2023
• Subjects: collaboration; Eisai; external innovation; industry–academia; neurology; UCL; industry–academia; Eisai; collaboration; external innovation; neurology; UCL
• ISSN: 1359-6446; 1878-5832
• DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2023.103732

•Diverse collaboration models are attractive to increase innovation and mitigate risk.•A key challenge is how to translate nascent hypotheses into tangible drug discovery projects.•Success requires commitment from senior management, robust governance, complementary expertise, open communication and trust.•The Eisai–University College London (UCL) collaboration produced seven projects, one clinical candidate and several peer-reviewed publications. External innovation initiatives in the pharmaceutical industry have become an integral part of research and development. Collaborations have been built to enhance innovation, mitigate risk, and share cost, especially for neurodegenerative diseases, a therapeutic area that has suffered from high attrition rates. This article outlines the Eisai–University College London (UCL) Drug Discovery and Development Collaboration as a case study of how to implement a productive industry–academic partnership. In the first 10 years, seven projects have been established and the first project, a novel anti-tau antibody for Alzheimer’s disease, has entered clinical trials, providing early validation of this collaboration model.