Partners in the RTCure consortium
1. Karolinska Institutet
KI is the RTCure Project coordinator and co-leader of WP1.
Stockholm, Sweden
Karolinska Institutet, a medical university with a close relationship to the clinical milieu at Karolinska University Hospital and a well-established infrastructure. The group at KI has previously also led the FP6/7 projects Autocure and BTCure and will in RTCure lead WP1 and contribute to all other WPs.
2. Deutsches Rheuma-Forschungszentrum Berlin
DRFZ is co-leader of WP3.
Berlin, Germany
DRFZ is an academic research institute focusing on the biomedical and epidemiological analysis of rheumatic diseases. A close contact with clinicians from the Rheumatology, Gastroenterology, Nephrology and Dermatology departments of the Charité grants access to clinical samples of patients with rheumatic or gastroenterological inflammation. DRFZ will lead WP3 on basic mechanisms of immune tolerance in RTCure.
3. Medizinische Universitaet Wien
Vienna, Austria
The Medical University of Vienna with its Division of Rheumatology is active in the field of rheumatology in basic, clinical and translational research; and heavily involved in cellular and humoral autoantibody research. MUW will participate in WP2, WP3, WP4, WP5 and WP6.
4. KCL - King's College London
KCL is co-leader for WP4.
London, United Kingdom
King’s College London (KCL) hosts one of only 12 National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) comprehensive Biomedical Research Centres, dedicated to developing cutting edge therapies, diagnostics and biomarkers, and achieved by combining basic laboratory research with early phase clinical interventions. It has invested in three state-of-the-art clinical research facilities, and a GMP accredited cell therapy unit in close proximity to core laboratories supporting genomics and flow cytometry for immune monitoring. KCL will lead WP4, coordinating the development and validation of platforms, technologies, protocols and analytical tools to support immune monitoring of patients with RA.
5. UoB - University of Birmingham
UoB is co-leader of WP7.
Birmingham, United Kingdom
The Birmingham group brings together members from the MRC Centre for Immune Regulation, MRC-Arthritis Research UK Centre for Musculoskeletal Ageing Research and Arthritis Research UK Rheumatoid Arthritis Pathogenesis Centre. Expertise in the application of strategies of induction of immune tolerance with experience in the immunopathology of RA and extensive patient cohorts. UoB will lead the ethics work in WP7.
6. UKER - Universitatsklinikum Erlangen
UKER is the co-leader of WP2.
Erlangen, Germany
UKER has access to well-characterized arthritis patients cohorts for studying the chronic inflammation and bone loss. Experience in immune phenotyping of arthritis patients and the in vivo bone assessment in patients with inflammatory diseases and the assessment of therapeutic manipulation of experimental inflammatory disease models (innate and innate/adaptive immunity driven arthritis models). UKER will lead WP2 in RTCure.
7. UNEW - University of Newcastle upon Tyne
UNEW is co-leader of WP6.
Newcastle, United Kingdom
Newcastle University is among the top 20 higher education institutions in the UK in terms of research power, according to the influential professional publication, Research Fortnight. The University also has one of the largest European Union research portfolios in the UK: around 260 FP7 projects worth over €110 million to the university; and so far, over 65 projects (worth around €30 million) awarded under Horizon 2020.
The Musculoskeletal Research Group has an extensive track record in testing tolerogenic strategies in RA (since 1990) and identification of immune biomarkers. It leads a number of large UK-based research initiatives in RA, including the RA-MAP consortium. Newcastle will lead WP6 on clinical studies.
8. UGLA - University of Glasgow
Glasgow, United Kingdom
Founded in 1451, the University of Glasgow is a member of the elite Russell Group of leading UK research universities, a founding member of Universitas21, and a member of IRUN (International Research Universities Network), an international network of broad-based research universities. The institution’s annual research income totals more than £177M, which places it in the UK’s top 10 earners for research. UGLA brings together expertise in the investigation and management of immune mediated diseases within the Institute of Infection Immunity and Inflammation. The investigators bring together the necessary molecular cellular bioinformatics, modelling techniques and translational clinical trialing acumen contained in state of the art facilities in the Glasgow Biomedical Research Centre NHS GGHB Clinical Research Facilities.
9. LUMC - Academisch Ziekenhuis Leiden
LUMC is co-leader of WP5.
Leiden, The Netherlands
LUMC is a centre for medical innovation, committed to the advancement of health care. The department of Rheumatology of LUMC possesses large experience in the development of targeted therapies in rheumatology. A significant aspect of the research in the LUMC is the close interaction between basic research and clinical practice. The results of research are not only transferred to clinical use but also clinical observations and requirements guide research strategy. Experience in the development of targeted therapies and has been a major participant in the development of current targeted therapies.
10. UQ - The University of Queensland
Brisbane, Australia
UQ have a unique experience in the development of technologies for induction of immune tolerance, recruitment of cohorts for trials, development of concomitant monitoring techniques and in the practical and ethical issues associated with tolerance trials. Also, a strong capability in clinical biomarker development and analysis to support clinical trials of tolerance, and of mouse model development with accompanying assays. UQ will be will be a key partner in designing new clinical studies.
12. API - Apitope International NV
SME
Brussels, Belgium
Apitope is a clinical stage biotech company developing potential first-in-class antigen-specific immunotherapeutics targeting the immunological basis of autoimmune diseases. API will evaluate and optimise the selected peptide cocktail for clinical studies in RTCure.
13. ANOCCA - Anocca AB
SME
Karlskrona, Sweden
Elements of Anocca’s proprietary technology platform will be deployed to provide detailed information on TCR identities and specificities in a small number of clinical scenarios, which will provide fundamental insights into disease mechanisms (WP3), and contribute to construction of immunoanalysis tools (WP4).
14. IRB -
Fondazione per l'istituto di Ricerc a in Biomedicina
Bellinzona, Switzerland
IRB is an academic research institute that has established in 2015 the Center of Medical Immunology to provide access to a host of technologies, methodologies, and material originally developed at the IRB in the field of human immunology that can be used in a reiterative process to translate basic findings to clinical settings.
15. Janssen - Janssen Pharmaceutica NV
Janssen is the Project leader of RTCure and co-leaders of WP1 and WP3.
Beerse, Belgium
Janssen Pharmaceutica N.V., a pharmaceutical company of Johnson & Johnson, provides medicines for an array of health concerns in several therapeutic areas. In Europe, the main research facilities for Janssen Research & Development are located in Beerse, Belgium, with research focused around the therapeutic areas of neuroscience, oncology, infectious diseases and immunology.
The Immunology Therapeutic Area (TA) of Janssen is deeply committed to patients, health care professionals and loved ones who care for them. Our research priorities are Rheumatoid Arthritis, Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Psoriasis. In addition to having developed Remicade, Simponi and Stelara, our researchers are exploring emerging science focused on understanding the earliest triggers of Rheumatological diseases.
Janssen will lead WP1 and contribute to WP3, WP4 and WP5.
16. UCB - UCB Biopharma SPRL
UCB is co-lead of WP4
Slough, England
UCB Biopharma SPRL - UCB is a global biopharmaceutical company, with a focus on neurology and immunology. Total revenue of €3.88 billion in 2015 with 7,500 staff Worldwide. Focus on discovery and development of novel antibody and small molecule-based medicines for the treatment of severe immune-driven diseases. Immunology research is based in Slough, UK with extensive research capabilities including antibody generation, medicinal chemistry, structural, molecular and cellular biology, pharmacology and translational capabilities. Interest in identifying next generation therapeutics such as those which can induce immune tolerance.
UCB intends to support WP’s 1, 3, 4, 5 & 6 with scientific and strategic input, reagent generation & immune profiling, statistical analysis. Pre-clinical mouse model studies as required.
17. GSK - Glaxosmithkline Research and Development LTD
GSK is co-leader of WP3.
United Kingdom
GSK is a science-led global healthcare company that researches and develops a broad range of innovative products in three primary areas of Pharmaceuticals, Vaccines and Consumer Healthcare. We have a significant global presence with commercial operations in more than 150 countries, a network of 89 manufacturing sites and large R&D centres in the UK, USA, Belgium and China. Research is vitally important to the success of our business, and we spent £3.1 billion in 2015 in our search to develop new medicines, vaccines and innovative consumer products.
18. Sanofi - Sanofis Aventis Deutchland GMBH
Frankfurt, Germany
Sanofi’s Therapeutic Research Area Immunology is centred on discovering and developing innovative healthcare solutions to autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, and type 1 diabetes as well as allergies and other chronic inflammatory diseases. Research centres with specific focus areas are located in US (Boston) France (Vitry) and Germany (Frankfurt).
19. BMS - Bristol-Myers Squibb Company CORP
BMS is co-leader of WP2 and WP6.
United States
Bristol-Myers Squibb is a global biopharmaceutical company whose mission is to discover, develop and deliver innovative medicines that help patients prevail over serious diseases. We are a differentiated company, led by our unique BioPharma strategy that leverages the reach and resources of a major pharma company paired with the entrepreneurial spirit and agility of a biotech firm. Our medicines are helping millions of patients around the world in disease areas such as oncology, cardiovascular, immunoscience and fibrosis. Through our R&D organization, we have built a sustainable pipeline of potential therapies and partner with external innovation to broaden and accelerate our work. BMS is contributing to the RTCure program by supporting 4 investigator sponsored research trials (ISR)s, providing input in WP activities, and co-leading WP2 &WP6.
20. PFIZER - Pfizer Limited
Pfizer is co-leader of WP5.
United Kingdom
At Pfizer, we apply science and our global resources to bring therapies to people that extend and significantly improve their lives. We strive to set the standard for quality, safety and value in the discovery, development and manufacture of health care products. Our global portfolio includes medicines and vaccines as well as many of the world's best-known consumer health care products. Every day, Pfizer colleagues work across developed and emerging markets to advance wellness, prevention, treatments and cures that challenge the most feared diseases of our time. Consistent with our responsibility as one of the world's premier innovative biopharmaceutical companies, we collaborate with health care providers, governments and local communities to support and expand access to reliable, affordable health care around the world. For more than 150 years, Pfizer has worked to make a difference for all who rely on us.
