Quebec Consortium for Drug Discovery launched

A new Quebec Consortium for Drug Discovery has been announced at Bio 2008 in San Diego. The public private partnership has received $7 million in commitments in its first year of operation and will be headed by Max Fehlmann. Pfizer Canada, AstraZeneca Canada and Merck Frosst Canada have each committed $1 million in the first year while Pfizer and AstraZeneca have made a commitment of $4 million over the next four years. The Quebec Ministry of Economic Development and Export Trade and the Fonds de la recherché en santé du Québec are together providing $4 million. The aim of the consortium is to pool expertise in all sectors and focus on the pre-competitive stages of drug development. Funding of joint research between companies and universities is a primary objective, as is the development of tools adapted to the development of safer and more effective drugs. Researchers will submit projects aimed at accelerating the drug development process and a strategic steering committee will select those to be funded….