AstraZeneca and MRC detail landmark collaboration

AstraZeneca is allying with the UK's Medical Research Council (MRC) to provide academic researchers with unprecedented access to important new compounds.

Under the terms of the collaboration, which was first announced in 2011, the MRC will provide seven million pounds in funding for 15 research projects, which will benefit from free access to 22 of AstraZeneca's investigational therapies.

Scientists will be able to use the compounds to study a broad range of conditions, including common ailments such as cancer, Alzheimer's and lung disease, as well as rare illnesses like motor neurone disease and muscular dystrophy.

Eight of the projects will involve human clinical trials, while the remaining seven will be earlier-stage studies and will focus on laboratory and human models.

Martin Mackay, president of AstraZeneca's research and development division, said: "Partnering across government, academia and industry is a critical way to spur additional scientific innovation and the delivery of new treatments for people who desperately need them."

Earlier this week, the firm announced the commencement of a phase III clinical trial called Falcon, which will evaluate the potential safety and efficacy benefits of the breast cancer therapy Faslodex.