Blue Square Discoveries will involve Deerfield providing funding and business support to researchers at Baylor College of Medicine in the latest such partnership for the investment firm.
Baylor College of Medicine became the latest institution to partner healthcare-focused investment management firm Deerfield Management for a therapeutic research partnership yesterday.
Called Blue Square Discoveries, Deerfield has earmarked up to $130m for the next decade and will provide drug development, management and operational know-how to help Baylor with its biomedical discovery pipeline.
Baylor researchers can put forward their ideas for the scheme’s committee to review, and accepted projects will receive support including funding and additional resources for discovery research and clinical testing.
Paul Klotman, president, CEO and executive dean of Baylor College of Medicine, said: “This new research collaboration will provide us the opportunity to bring our new discoveries in genetics and therapeutics to the bedside in a more efficient and effective way.”
Damian Young, associate director of the Centre for Drug Discovery and assistant professor of pharmacology, chemical biology, pathology and immunology at Baylor will take up a scientific business development manager role in the scheme.
Young added: “This collaboration will allow us to combine Baylor’s strength in identifying disease-causing protein targets with an innovative chemistry platform.”
Blue Square Discoveries is the latest in a growing list of partnerships Deerfield has been inking with institutions throughout the US and internationally – others include Great Lakes Discoveries, Orchard Innovations, West Loop Innovations, Hudson Heights Innovations and others.
