Former British Prime Minister David Cameron, Medical Leaders and Researchers from around the World Convene in Cleveland to Discuss Drug Development Progress

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Harrington Discovery Institute at University Hospitals held its 12^th annual scientific symposium this week. Scientific researchers and leaders from across the globe gathered in Cleveland, Ohio to discuss progress being made in drug development for a variety of conditions, including Alzheimer’s and rare diseases.

Symposium speakers included former UK Prime Minister, David Cameron, who chairs the Advisory Council for the Oxford-Harrington Rare Disease Centre — a unique transatlantic partnership between the University of Oxford, UK, and Harrington Discovery Institute at University Hospitals in Cleveland, aimed at driving breakthrough treatments for rare diseases. These diseases typically lack commercial incentive for private companies to develop therapies and treatments. Researchers often find their work at a standstill in the so-called Valley of Death — the chasm between discoveries that could not be funded and the funding sources that would not fund them.

The Advisory Council supports the OHC’s mission to deliver new treatments for the estimated half a billion people affected by rare diseases worldwide. Council members are leaders of relevant industries and sectors from different regions of the world who bring expertise, resources and networks towards the initial goal of developing 40 new drugs for rare diseases in the next 10 years.

Harrington scholars presented their latest discoveries throughout the two-day scientific symposium. Of the 8,000 physician-scientists in the US, nearly 50 percent have sought support from Harrington Discovery Institute. To date 150 of those Harrington Scholars have drugs-in-the-making, more than 30 have created new companies, and four are in Phase 3 clinical trials — for heart attacks, macular degeneration, Alzheimer’s, and a rare cancer syndrome. Another scholar’s therapeutic for babies with spina bifida is in a potentially pivotal clinical trial.

To achieve these results, Harrington Discovery Institute created an innovation pathway consisting of creative science, drug development assistance, business strategy support, and strong management.

David Cameron, Chair of the OHC’s Advisory Council, said: “The work of Harrington Discovery Institute is second to none. It’s rare to find an organization that not only funds but also surrounds researchers with a full infrastructure to move discoveries forward. To be truly transformational, genomics requires the best of academia, life sciences, pharmaceutical companies, philanthropy and venture capital from around the world to come together. That is what the Oxford-Harrington Rare Disease Centre sets out to do, convening those key players and uniting around a bold mission. I have long championed improvements in healthcare through research, and I am proud to be aligned with an organization that doesn't shy away from complex problems. Rare disease and Alzheimer’s have been a focus personally and professionally and remain among my deepest commitments. Behind everyone is a family, a story, and a chance to change the future through science, and we owe it to patients and families to keep pushing the boundaries.”

Jonathan S. Stamler, MD, President and co-founder of Harrington Discovery Institute, commented: “At Harrington Discovery Institute, we’ve created a powerful mission — to accelerate promising discoveries into medicines for unmet needs. We’ve also created results. Most notably, we have put many new medicines into the drug development system. By the numbers, we now have 214 drugs in the making, 43 companies launched, 23 medicines in the clinic, and 15 licenses to pharma. These are quality metrics. Leaders in pharma, biotech, and academia have said that results like these at any organization would be exceptional, let alone one built from within an academic medical center.”

Cliff Megerian, MD, FACS, University Hospitals CEO, added: “Harrington Discovery Institute is a shining example of what so many of us aspired to do when we became doctors — identify a problem, solve the problem, help others. Our mission at UH is: To Heal. To Teach. To Discover. We fulfill our commitment to the “Discover” part of our mission through Harrington Discovery — it’s our mechanism for investing in our nation’s best discoveries and brightest scholars to advance new cures. We’re grateful to have attendees from across the US, the UK, and Canada — as well as those based right here in Cleveland at University Hospitals.”

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The OHC Advisory Council consists of Lord Cameron (Chair of the OHC’s Advisory Council and Former UK Prime Minister), Professor Sir John Bell (President, Ellison Institute of Technology Oxford, and former Regius Professor of Medicine at Oxford University), Baroness Nicola Blackwood (Chair of Genomics England and of Oxford University Innovation), John F. Crowley (President and CEO of the Biotechnology Innovation Association (BIO)), Majid Jafar (Vice-Chairman of the Crescent Group and CEO of Crescent Petroleum, based in UAE), Ronald G. Harrington (a renowned entrepreneur and philanthropist, and co-founder of Harrington Discovery Institute), and Jonathan S. Stamler, MD (President and co-founder of Harrington Discovery Institute and Distinguished University Professor of Medicine).

About Harrington Discovery Institute Harrington Discovery Institute at University Hospitals in Cleveland, Ohio aims to advance academic discoveries into medicines to address unmet need. It was created in 2012 with a $50 million founding gift from the Harrington family and has supported more than 200 scientists throughout the US, UK. and Canada. Harrington Discovery Institute uses an innovation model that surrounds scientists with drug development and business expertise and employs both philanthropic funding and catalytic investment capital to advance projects into the clinic and through commercialization. For more information, visit: HarringtonDiscovery.org| LinkedIn | X

About Oxford-Harrington Rare Disease Centre The Oxford-Harrington Rare Disease Centre (OHC) is a partnership between the University of Oxford, UK and Harrington Discovery Institute at University Hospitals, in Cleveland, Ohio, US. The OHC combines world-leading strengths in research and therapeutics development from across these organizations to set the science and innovation agenda and drive cutting-edge rare disease breakthroughs to address the unmet need in rare diseases across the globe to deliver major clinical impact for patients. For more information, visit: OxfordHarrington.org | LinkedIn | X

About the University of Oxford The University of Oxford is rated the best in the world for medicine and life sciences, and it is home to the UK’s top-ranked medical school. It has one of the largest clinical trial portfolios in the UK and great expertise in taking discoveries from the lab into the clinic. Partnerships with the local NHS Trusts enable patients to benefit from close links between medical research and healthcare delivery. For more information, visit: www.ox.ac.uk