A new research initiative to help discover and develop new cancer treatments is to get €5.6 million in funding from the Government.
The Strategic Research Cluster in Molecular Therapeutics for Cancer will create a national cancer drug discovery and development programme that is hoped will benefit cancer patients in Ireland.
The initiative will be led by Consultant Medical Oncologist, Professor John Crown, with Dublin City University as lead academic institution.
The funding, which will come through Science Foundation Ireland, was announced this morning by Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation Conor Lenihan.
"This SRC has genuine potential to make Ireland a leading centre for cancer drug discovery and development. Today marks the latest declaration from Government that it believes in science, and greatly values the top-class collaborative research being conducted in this country," he said.
"There is real confidence that this SRC will help to ultimately position Ireland as a key international player in the oncology research arena."
Prof Crown described the funding as significant, and said it would encourage further investment in biomedical research in Ireland.
"We have witnessed fundamental change and enormous progress in the area of cancer drug treatment in recent years. The very significant funding provided by Government through Science Foundation Ireland, will foster greater and more focused collaboration between existing high-quality cancer research units in this country.
The team behind the cluster includes researchers from St Vincent's University Hospital, University College Dublin and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, with partners Trinity College Dublin, St. James's Hospital and the Irish Cooperative Oncology Research Group.
A number of industry partners are also involved, including GlaxoSmithKline, Pfizer and Roche.
Director general of SFI Professor Frank Gannon, said it was a deliberate step to bring together clinical and pharmaceutical worlds.
"In a research context, the exchange and sharing of knowledge in a cluster format provides the best possible chances of success. Collaborative activity remains a key priority of SFI's overall strategy as it expands its research programmes, while maintaining an acute awareness of enterprise needs and commercial potential," he said.
