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PROFILE From molecule to bedside The practice of research and innovation in pharmaceutical science… K ing’s College London has a strong tradition in pharmaceutical science, world-class pharmacology, clinical pharmacology and therapeutics. This has led to the creation of a number of spinout companies, including: MedPharm and Proximagen Neuroscience plc, as well as having the Quintiles Drug Research Unit on our Guy’s campus fully embedded within King’s College London. The Institute of Pharmaceutical Science (IPS) was created in November 2010 to bring together the relevant research groupings across King’s College London. By developing an integrated and cohesive multidisciplinary approach, we are working to enable accelerated drug discovery, enhanced identification of drug targets for drug development, improved therapeutic agents and efficient drug delivery systems. In addition to the established groups of Chemical Biology, Pharmaceutical Biophysics, Drug Delivery, Pharmacology and Therapeutics, and Clinical Practice and Medication Use, IPS is closely linked to Clinical Pharmacology, the Quintiles Drug Research Unit at Guy’s, the Biomolecular Spectroscopy Centre, cancer research, the Institute of Psychiatry, and Translational Medicine, thus creating strong alliances between the basic sciences and clinicians in our partner NHS trusts. This association facilitates the identification and evaluation of medicines and the more effective, safer prescription of therapies to improve healthcare regionally and nationally. King’s College London, along with our associated NHS trusts (Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust), 46 Hepcidin (acidic amino acids – red; basic amino acids – blue; disulphides – yellow; and hydrophobic amino acids – grey) is the central regulator of iron homeostasis. Hepcidin transcription is unregulated in inflammation and downregulated by iron deficiency. The membrane bound iron transporter, ferroportin, is the receptor for hepcidin. Interaction of hepcidin with ferroportin leads to the degradation of the peptide. This illustration shows the space filled structure of hepcidin approaching the membrane bound ferroportin is also part of King’s Health Partners, which has Pharmaceutical Sciences as a strong Clinical Academic Group (CAG – www.kingshealthpartners.org). IPS is taking a leading role in this exciting initiative. Research As part of the King’s Health Partners relationship, we are working to establish a King’s College London drug discovery/development unit to work closely with research divisions, the Joint Clinical Trials Office (JCTO) and the technology transfer team to identify unique opportunities for new drugs, formulations and delivery devices that can be taken to phase 1/2a trials before licensing to third parties. An advisory board, comprising leading academic advisers from King’s College London, industry and the regulatory sector, aims to select suitable drug discovery and development projects. This will foster and guide an expansion of our research activities in pharmaceutical science in collaboration with the biotech and pharma industries. Public Service Review: UK Science & Technology: issue 2 IPS has expertise in the development of a broad range of biological assays and analytical techniques for the evaluation of novel drugs and mechanisms of action. When coupled with in-house in-vivo models and access to key patient groups through our health service partners, this provides a firm foundation from which to grow our drug discovery initiative. At the same time, our expertise in the areas of formulation and drug delivery provides opportunities for the development of novel and innovative methods for both the delivery and the targeting of medicines. In addition, those working in the clinic have relevant expertise in both preliminary proof-of-concept studies and early clinical trials, enabling us to fully exploit the output from the discovery and development activities, while providing key direction in these projects to ensure viable and useful end products can be delivered. IPS also has considerable research strengths in pharmacology and clinical pharmacology, analytical science and PROFILE 3D reconstruction of TRPV1 staining nerves in airway epithelium in a guinea pig medicinal chemistry, including molecular modelling. Within IPS, there is particular strength in pulmonary pharmacology with excellent collaboration existing between pharmacologists and drug delivery specialists; this includes work on an MRC-supported project to investigate the safety and tolerability of inhaled nanoparticles. King’s College London has a strong tradition in pharmaceutical science, world-class pharmacology, clinical pharmacology and therapeutics. Members of the IPS are also actively involved in improving the use of medicines in clinical practice. Significantly, King’s Health Partners acts as the hub for the South London Health Innovation Education Cluster (HIEC); this is leading to the creation of the Centre for Effective Medicines Use, an initiative currently led by IPS. Teaching The formation of IPS has brought together relevant teaching and research activities under one umbrella, and as a group we share a strong ethos for research-led teaching. Academics within IPS currently provide substantial teaching of undergraduates, principally our MPharm degree and a range of BSc programmes. We are recognised by both the private and public sectors for the quality of our graduates, as well as our commitment to in-vivo sciences and the suite of specialist courses at MSc level, including our long Confocal fluorescence micrograph of a breast cancer cell (nucleus blue) showing the intracellular fate of the synthetic lipid carrier (green) and the plasmid DNA cargo (red) of peptide-targeted gene delivery systems, courtesy of Dr Laila Kudsiova and Professor Margaret Jayne Lawrence established MSc programmes in Pharmaceutical Analysis and Quality Control, Pharmaceutical Technology and Biopharmaceuticals and the recently initiated MSci course in Integrated Physiology and Pharmacology. A number of other new courses in Pharmaceutical Medicine, some of which have been approved by the Royal College of Physicians, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Medicine, have recently been introduced. These can be taken as standalone short courses, as part of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Medicine’s Pharmaceutical Medicine Speciality Training or Certificate/Diploma in Human Pharmacology, or as part of a King’s College London postgraduate award in Drug Development Science, Clinical Pharmacology or Translational Medicine. IPS has recently become the only London-based member of the Europe-wide PharmaTrain to deliver excellence in training in drug development science across Europe – so positioning IPS at King’s College London as a leading player in this area. In addition, there is a range of wellestablished certificate and diploma programmes for pharmacists working in primary care, including an independent prescribing course. Academics within IPS also supervise a wide range of PhD projects. Impact and innovation ners, is working hard to improve the nature, substance and quality of healthcare and its delivery in London and beyond, as well as contributing to UK plc. Academics in IPS have a multiplicity of collaborations with industry (eg. Pfizer, GSK, GW Pharma, Vifor, Helperby, Novartis, Unilever, Verona Pharma, Reckitt) that have led to the award of research grants, consultancy agreements, CASE studentships and knowledge transfer partnerships. We are committed in the IPS to facilitate the training of better scientists and clinicians, and to encourage faster translation and adoption of the output of research and innovation in pharmaceutical sciences into practice. We already collaborate widely internationally and aim to ensure that IPS becomes the premier pharmaceutical science research and teaching institution inexorably bound to clinical practice in the UK and beyond. For more information, please contact either Professor Clive Page or Professor Peter Hylands on the details below. Professor Clive Page Joint Head of Pharmaceutical Science and Professor of Pharmacology Tel: +44 (0)20 7848 4784 Fax: +44 (0)20 7848 4788 [email protected] Professor Peter Hylands Joint Head of Pharmaceutical Science and Head of Pharmacy Department Tel: +44 (0)20 7848 4387 Fax: +44 (0)20 7848 4781 [email protected] Institute of Pharmaceutical Science King’s College London Franklin-Wilkins Building 150 Stamford Street London SE1 9NH www.kcl.ac.uk The IPS at King’s College London, in collaboration with our NHS trust partPublic Service Review: UK Science & Technology: issue 2 47