Partnerships
The National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences reports that public–private partnerships can be instrumental
in accelerating new technologies from idea to market. Public–private partnerships
can leverage technologies and financial resources from a wide variety of public
and private commercial and nonprofit entities with each partner making its own unique
contributions and each partner reaping benefits that might not have been possible
otherwise. The results are, indeed, greater than the sum of the parts.
The Advanced Technology Partnerships Initiative
The novel business/research model is already in place at the National Cancer
Institute at Frederick, a government-owned facility operated by SAIC-Frederick as
prime contractor. This model would be expanded and developed to enable its application
to a much wider range of partnerships. The facility is set up as a national laboratory
to provide increased flexibility, efficiency, rapid response, and accountability.
It has a successful track record of using public–private partnerships to shorten
the timeline from idea to product and to accomplish urgent R&D goals for the federal
government.
NCI-Frederick also has an extraordinarily broad array of advanced technologies and
expertise on campus that support basic research in cancer and AIDS, applied research,
translational research, preclinical investigations, and clinical trials management.
Public–private partnerships can leverage technologies and financial
resources from a wide variety of cooperating entities to shorten timelines, reduce
costs, and increase productivity.
Rationale for the Program
A number of studies in recent years have highlighted the need for more collaborative
R&D and for a greater emphasis on translating the results of basic research into
therapeutic and diagnostic products for cancer patients.
The number of candidate drug targets and products aimed at prediction, prevention,
diagnosis, and treatment of cancer has increased dramatically during the past decade.
This is a direct outgrowth of increased support for biomedical research and advances
across the entire research spectrum.
The sequencing of the human genome alone has brought science to the threshold of
unparalleled opportunity. However, the promise of these basic research discoveries
will not be realized without a translational research enterprise that can rapidly
and cost-effectively transition them into products for cancer patients.
The National Cancer Institute is addressing this issue by expanding the use of NCI-Frederick’s
capabilities to create public-private partnerships focused on accelerating the translation
of cutting-edge discoveries into the therapies that people need.
Contact:
David Hoekzema, Director, Strategic Business Development
Advanced Technology Partnerships Initiative
301-846-5895
hoekzemadt@mail.nih.gov