FMUL/IMM inaugurate Portuguese Leadership of the “Marie Curie” Action in the “Industry-Academia Partnerships and Pathways – IAPP” Framework Programme Seven.

Researchers from the FMUL Biochemical Institute / Institute of Molecular Medicine (IMM) head a European consortium of five partners for the industrial development of a new drug which may be used as an analgesic and in the therapy of neurodegenerative illnesses such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.

This product (BLV200704) was conceived and initially studied by the team led by Prof. Miguel Castanho, professor at the FMUL and researcher at the IMM, and subsequently licensed to the BIOALVO company, which has collaborated in later phases of its pre-clinical development.

The initial work is the result of a partnership with the group led by Prof. Isaura Tavares, from the Faculty of Medicine of Oporto /Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IBMC) (University of Oporto), which was joined later by BIOALVO.

These partners have now had their candidacy approved for the “Industry-Academia Partnerships and Pathways – IAPP” action, under the coordination of Professor Miguel Castanho.

Through this joint project, termed PEP2BRAIN, the plan for the pharmacological development of BLV200704 and its potential derivatives will be put into effect.

This is the first Portuguese partnership to successful go beyond the demanding phases of evaluation of the very competitive “IAPP” action of the Framework Programme Seven (FP7). The project involves about Euros 660,000 and includes European partners, namely Spanish and German ones.

The IAPP actions intend to open up and welcome innovating partnerships between public research centres and private institutions, particularly small and middle-sized companies. These partnerships should result in new solutions and/or new products.

Miguel Castanho
macastanho@fm.ul.pt