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Marie Curie Fellowships: Experiences of an Industry-

Academia Partnership

David Smith, PhDResearch Director

Biotie Therapies Corp.

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BIOTIE IN BRIEF

• Founded in 1996 in Turku, Finland by two Turku University Professors

• Drug discovery and development for first-in-class pharmaceuticals– Dependence disorders, inflammation, thrombosis

• Strong commercial partnerships, Roche, Seikagaku, Lundbeck, Britannia

• Capital raised to date: EUR 100+ million

• ~ 40 Employees

• Listed on Helsinki Stock Exchange in 2000 – (OMX: BTH1V)

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Small molecule a2ß1 integrin inhibitor

THROMBOSISRecombinant bioheparin

Small molecule VAP-1 SSAO-enzyme inhibitor

INFLAMMATORY DISEASESMonoclonal VAP-1 antibody

Pathological gambling Nalmefene

DEPENDENCE DISORDERSAlcoholism Nalmefene

Phase IIIPhase IIPhase IAuthority-regulated preclinical

Early preclinical

Indication

PIPELINE

Registrat-ion

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Biotie has considerable experience of EU funded research consortia

4th Framework Programme• BRIGHS = Biotechnological Routes in Generating Heparin-Related

Saccharides 1996-98 (partner) SWE (2), IT (2), UK (1), FIN (1)

5th Framework Programme• BANG = Biologically Active Novel Glycosaminoglycans 2000-2002

(Coordinator) FIN (1), SWE (2), IT (3), UK (1)

• TUNEUP = Therapeutic Utilisation of a Novel Enzyme with Unique Adhesion Properties 2000-2003 (partner) FIN (2), UK (1), FR (1), ES (1)

• HEPARANASE = Heparanase inhibitors in antiangiogenic and antimetastatic cancer therapy 2002-2005 (partner) IT (3), IL (1), SK (1), FIN (1), SWE (1)

7th Framework Programme• IMADI – Application (partner)

1-2 companies in each project

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Marie Curie ToK-IAP Fellowships

6th Framework Programme

Marie Curie Host Fellowships for the Transfer of Knowledge:

INDUSTRY-ACADEMIA PARTNERSHIP

`..to create and develop real strategic and durable partnerships between the academic world and the world of enterprise....´

• Funding level between 200k€ and 1200k€• Usual Marie Curie rules on fellows and trans-national

exchange• Living allowances, travel costs, overheads, some research

costs, management costs.

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Biotie’s Marie Curie Fellowship

• Programme: `Structuring the European Research Area – Human Resources and Mobility´ FP6 Marie Curie Host Fellowship for the Transfer of Knowledge Industry–Academia Partnership (TOK-IAP)

• Project: LEVITATES = Liver Endothelial VAP-1 In Tethering And Transmigration Experimental

Systems

• Contract: MTK-CT-2005-029862

• Partners: University of Birmingham, UK and Biotie Therapies

• Coordinator: Biotie Therapies

• 2006-2010. Start date: 1st October 2006

• 54 person months exchange of researchers

• Budget: 390 kEur over 42 months

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Biotie’s Marie Curie Fellowship

• Biotie’s objectives in applying for Marie Curie funding– Strengthen links between a key academic collaborator and the

company– Train personnel. ’Exposure to the outside scientific world’– Further research in a core strategic area– Transfer certain key technologies to the company

• Partners perspective– Funding opportunity for an experienced researcher in the

academic group– New skills brought in

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Project outline

Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4

Activity 1-6 7-12 11-18 19-24 25-30 31-36 37-42

Isolation of Human and Murine HSEC

BIOTIE staff to UNI BHAM for knowledge transfer, 3 months

Flow and perfusion adhesion assays

Tuition by UNI BHAM for

Fellow 1

Experimental phase for fellow 1, 24 months in total

In vivo liver fibrosis model

Tuition by UNI BHAM for Fellow 2

Experimental phase for fellow 2, 24 months in total

VAP-1: Ligand interaction

UNI BHAM staff toBIOTIE for training and

studies, 3 months

Identification of the VAP-1 ligand

Exchange fellow at UNI BHAM performs experiments in parallel with UNI BHAM staff for duration of the knowledge transfer and training period

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Key issues

• Establishment of Consortium Agreement- Long legal document but relatively straightforward to establish*

• Researcher Agreement- Long legal document, somewhat complicated to establish*- Lack of prior experience in Biotie and University with these type of agreements caused delay

• Practical issues that needed to be addressed- New situation for the company- Employment status of Biotie staff being transferred- Eligibility for transferred researchers share options- Accommodation and practical issues regarding transfer- Return of researcher and filling position in meanwhile

* Difficulties in dealing with the University administration- More than 6 months to set up contracts and financial arrangements- Some frustration and bad feeling from researchers side

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Current status and upcoming issues

• Fellow started 1.10.06 in Birmingham- Research and exchange according to plan (more or less.....)- Some integration difficulties but no major problems

• Face to face meeting at six monthly intervals to discuss progress and plans- Last meeting May 07.

• Three month Biotie to Birmingham transfer to start in 2008, slight delay over plan

• New hire probably needed for second researcher transfer

• Generally positive experience so far

Lesson learnt – Make all arrangements early enough !

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