From the start, the Myelin Repair Foundation's goal has been to accelerate the basic science and conduct the target validation and early-stage drug discovery activities necessary to achieve its goal of licensing at least one myelin repair drug target by 2009 that would lead to treatments for multiple sclerosis. To accomplish its goal, MRF developed the Accelerated Research Collaboration™ (ARC™) model, a unique business/science hybrid model for medical research that breaks through the barriers inherent in the traditional medical research model and drives new discoveries toward clinical trials in record time.

The model, though simple and straightforward by business standards, represents a sea change in the world of scientific research. Instead of the traditional single investigator-driven model typical in virtually all academic research, the ARC research model combines the efforts of multiple investigators into a fully collaborative, outcome-focused effort. The model then provides the infrastructure to validate discoveries into commercially viable drug targets which are then licensed for commercial drug development and clinical trials.

Gaining Momentum

The ARC model can be applied to any medical research problem once relevant basic scientific discoveries have been made. In fact, more than 60 different disease research organizations have contacted the Myelin Repair Foundation about the ARC model and its potential application to each organization’s research. Among them are the American Cancer Society, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, the Down Syndrome Research and Treatment Foundation, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and the Harvard Stem Cell Institute.

In the spirit of collaboration, MRF is eager to share the ARC model with these and other organizations by providing information about the model and the tools, and encouraging its further development through the work of others.