Multi-million research centre for Clinical Imaging

GSK and Imperial College London sign agreement to establish major research partnerships at Hammersmith hospital, UK

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and Imperial College London have signed a unique research collaboration in medical imaging. GSK will contribute funding of £28m for the construction of a new Clinical Imaging Centre, next to Hammersmith Hospital in West London, UK. Research will focus on cancer, stroke, neurological diseases such as Parkinson's and multiple sclerosis and psychiatric diseases.

In association with the Clinical Imaging Centre, GSK and Imperial have entered into a 10-year research agreement for medical imaging.

The GSK Clinical Imaging Centre will use and advance the latest technologies in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET). GSK will invest a further £16m in the latest PET and MRI imaging equipment. The Imaging Centre will be part of a new £60m research development by Imperial College, on the former Burlington Danes school site adjoining Hammersmith Hospital, to be completed by 2006.

The agreement is one of the world's largest industry-university collaborations in financial terms, and will very substantially increase the research base in medical imaging in the UK. The UK government welcomed the investment in UK science. Lord Sainsbury, minister for Science and Innovation said: 'The new clinical imaging centre is great news for the UK. The centre will carry out vital research into devastating diseases such as Parkinson's. The investment by GSK and Imperial College highlights the strength of the science base in this country, and the quality of medical research at Hammersmith Hospital."

Dr Tachi Yamada, chairman of research and development at GSK, said: 'New imaging technology can provide early and accurate information about how medicines work in people, yet the need to harness this new technology to drug development efforts has outpaced current capacity. Our investment in this new clinical imaging centre further demonstrates GSK's continued commitment to medical research in the UK and will go a long way toward providing the tools we need to advance promising medicines more quickly.'

Sir Richard Sykes, Rector of Imperial College London, remarked: 'This is a fantastic opportunity for both Imperial and GlaxoSmithKline, and is one of the largest industrial investments made by a pharmaceutical company in a UK university. This collaboration brings together the research heritage, skills and expertise of a diverse group of scientists with a huge investment in new technology.'

In addition to the research centre, the development site will also include affordable housing for over 300 health workers, provided by the Charity Trustees for Hammersmith Hospitals' partner Thames Valley Housing Association. There will also be jobs created in the new centre with around 400 researchers and support staff working there, around half of these being new positions.