Biomedical centre for Manchester
Share
The Department of Health has announced a £35m Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) will be built in Manchester to develop new medicines and treatments.
The centre will be led by the Central Manchester and Manchester Children's University Hospitals NHS Trust and Manchester University, and based at the Trust's Oxford Road site in the city centre.
The partnership has the support of Manchester City Council and the North West Development Agency (NWDA), plus leading healthcare businesses including AstraZeneca, Renovo and GlaxoSmithKline, and other partners including the Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Facility.
Research funded through the Manchester BRC will include projects that further understanding of health, development and disease, develop new therapies for a range of conditions including cardiovascular disease and mental health, and identify ways to alleviate chronic long-term disability.
The BRC's director, Prof Philip Baker, said: ‘We've already attracted some of the country's top research talent, and gaining BRC status well and truly puts Manchester on the worldwide research community's map. We will join other national BRCs in Oxford, Cambridge and London to create a powerhouse of research - all focused upon improving the way we treat and care for patients.
‘People across the city of Manchester unfortunately have rates of heart disease, cancer, mental illness and other conditions which are higher than the national average, and they will benefit directly from research in these key areas as well as many others. Manchester will now be acknowledged as a beacon of innovation in healthcare.’
The BRC will require funding of £35m to establish and run for the first four years. The Department of Health will provide £7.5m, and the Manchester/NW partners, including the NWDA and Manchester City Council, will invest the remaining £27.5m.
In addition, the BRC will create over 100 new jobs over the next two to three years and will enable more patients to access leading edge treatments through involvement in clinical trials.
