Forbes reports that pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline announced a plan to beginning collaborating with other companies on research into drugs for diseases that don't get a lot of attention, malaria being a key example. It sounds like open innovation in action. Read the Forbes article here, but here's a key quote:
"...to jump-start research into drugs for malaria and other neglected diseases, Witty said Glaxo will up its labs to outside nonprofit collaborators. In one project, the company will work closely with Emory University chemists and Alnylam Pharmaceuticals to devise drugs for parasitic worm diseases and other nasty tropical bugs. In another, GSK will open up its lab in Tres Cantos, Spain to as many as 60 academic scientists who want to work on malaria or other developing-world ills. GSK will also make available detailed data on thousands of compounds that have showed some promise against malaria in preliminary tests."
It will be interesting to see how this experiment in openness progresses. If you know of other examples of companies in the pharmaceutical world trying things like this, please paste the links below.
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