€5.6 million for cancer research

Conor Lenihan TD, Minister for Science, Technology & Innovation, has announced a €5.6 million funding from Government, through Science Foundation Ireland, for the establishment of a new Strategic Research Cluster (SRC). Under the leadership of well-known Consultant Medical Oncologist, Professor John Crown, with Dublin City University as lead academic institution, the SRC in Molecular Therapeutics for Cancer will assemble and build a fully-integrated national translational cancer drug discovery and development programme that will significantly benefit cancer patients in Ireland.

Making the announcement, Minister Lenihan, said: 'This SRC has genuine potential to make Ireland a leading centre for cancer drug discovery and development. Today marks the latest declaration from Government that it believes in science, and greatly values the top-class collaborative research being conducted in this country.'

I very much look forward to the contributions and findings that will emerge from the efforts of Professor Crown and his team over the five-year period of this funding award. There is real confidence that this SRC will help to ultimately position Ireland as a key international player in the oncology research arena,' the minister added.

Addressing the event, Professor Crown said: 'We have witnessed fundamental change and enormous progress in the area of cancer drug treatment in recent years. The very significant funding provided by Government through Science Foundation Ireland will foster greater and more focused collaboration between existing high-quality cancer research units in this country.  We would like to acknowledge the support of our industrial partners in this process and believe that the award will encourage further investment in biomedical research in Ireland.'

Professor Crown's team comprises Co-Principal Investigators Professor Joe Duffy, St Vincent's University Hospital/University College Dublin; Professor William Gallagher, University College Dublin; Professor William Watson, University College Dublin; and Dr Judith Harmey, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. In addition, Trinity College Dublin/St. James's Hospital and the Irish Cooperative Oncology Research Group are partners. The SRC's Industry Partners are GlaxoSmithKline, Pfizer, Merck Sharpe & Dohme, Novartis, Roche, Amgen, Erigal, Caliper Life Science, AntiCancer Inc.

Speaking at the announcement, Director General of SFI, Professor Frank Gannon, said: 'This SRC is a deliberate step to bring together the clinical and pharmaceutical worlds through the definition of research that is mutually important.  The Irish Government, through the Health Research Board, as well as SFI, is reinforcing efforts in this area of translational research. In a research context, the exchange and sharing of knowledge in a cluster format provides the best possible chances of success. Collaborative activity remains a key priority of SFI's overall strategy as it expands its research programmes, while maintaining an acute awareness of enterprise needs and commercial potential.'

Professor Gannon added: 'the detailed and rigorous process of assessment and review by international scientific experts and state agencies proves beyond doubt that this SRC really is of the very highest quality.' 

SFI's SRC programme aims to link scientists and engineers in partnerships across academia and industry to address crucial research questions, foster the development of new and existing Irish-based technology companies, and to grow partnerships with industry that will enhance the competitiveness of Ireland's economy.