“Partnering for Cures” bringing diverse interests together

I have been on the steering committee of FasterCures for the last five years. In the past their meetings drew participants from cutting edge medical research foundations who would discuss the systemic challenges in translational research (moving discoveries out of the lab and into the clinic) and share best practices. For the last couple of years we have worked to engage philanthropists and help them understand what makes cutting edge organizations like the Myelin Repair Foundation, Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation different from traditional disease oriented foundations. In a word, RESULTS!

At the same time, interest from the pharmaceutical industry in the work of the MRF, and other FasterCures members, has continued to increase as patent expiration of blockbuster drugs continue to loom and their deemphasis of early stage discovery research has resulted in dwindling pipelines of new drugs.

This conference is the first time that all three groups have come together on this scale so discuss common interests and needs. With over 100 medical research organizations attending the meeting, I was delighted that the MRF was selected to make a presentation on our innovative business model yesterday morning and on our research results and partnering opportunities this afternoon. Both of these presentations were well attended by philanthropists, representatives from the pharmaceutical industry and people from other non-profits who wanted to learn from our experiences in running a high performance research consortium. Based on the attendance at each session and the number of questions following my presentations there was considerable interest in the MRF’s Accelerated Research Collaboration ™ model, our results and our future plans.

Late in the day I attended a session where philanthropists, and people who provide investment advice to philanthropists, talked about their selection criteria for philanthropic investment. This is not traditional charitable giving. The two things they mentioned as most important were accountability, knowing that their money was being spent wisely and efficiently, and measurable results. The MRF agrees wholeheartedly with these criteria as evidenced by our 5 year progress report Promises Made, Promises Kept (PDF).

I am proud to represent the MRF at such a meeting and have so many knowledgeable people recognize the outstanding achievements of the MRF team over the last five years. Our goals for the next five years are ambitious and the challenges that lie ahead are considerable. Success will require expansion of our collaboration in the areas of target validation, biomarker studies and corporate partnerships. The only way we can be successful is with aggressive, focused effort by some very talented people and your continued support.

Tags: acceleration, blockbuster drugs, collaboration model, Cystic fibrosis, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, discovery research, fastercures, innovative business, medical research, Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation, myelin repair foundation, new drugs, philanthropic investment, research, research collaboration, research consortium, share best practices

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