Company Overview of Medical Research Council

Wellcome Trust and Medical Research Council are to invest £24 million into obesity research led by the Wellcome Trust-MRC Institute of Metabolic Science. The Institute of Metabolic Science (IMS), based on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, will investigate the causes and health consequences of obesity and develop new approaches to prevent and treat metabolic diseases, such as diabetes. Funding from the MRC will establish a new MRC Metabolic Diseases Unit at the IMS, under the direction of Professor O'Rahilly, as well as new programmes of research at the existing MRC Epidemiology Unit and MRC Human Nutrition Research. The Wellcome Trust investment will create an enhanced Clinical Research Facility dedicated to metabolic studies, as well as providing funding for major core laboratory equipment and studies in animal models.

MRC announced that it is driving the translation of discoveries from basic laboratory and clinical science into benefits for human health. Using insights gleaned in this process, the company is further enhancing its knowledge of the fundamental pathways in health and disease. Innovation and translation in health care and life sciences is at the heart of the UK government's plan for growth. The company in coordination with its OSCHR partners and others have invested heavily in translational research to set the foundations and develop new funding initiatives. The company is investing GBP 354 million in translational research over the next 4 years. This will continue to encourage and drive translation of medical research, supporting pre-clinical and clinical development of new therapies and diagnostics with an investment of GBP 140 million over 4 years. On December 5, 2011 the company announced up to GBP 130 million in three new translational research calls. The company also reported that it will also invest GBP 35 million per year to support the translation of fundamental scientific discoveries into benefits to human health. This scheme will continue the company's funding of the pre-clinical development and early clinical testing (phases 1 & 2) of novel therapeutics, devices and diagnostics, including repurposing of existing therapies.