14/04/2006
The University of Navarra participates in two projects selected by the Ministry of IndustryThe researchers who will participate in the first CÉNIT program will focus on lung cancer and controlled release of medications
The University of Navarra is participating in two of the groups
approved by the Ministry of Industry in its program of National
Strategic Consortia in Technical Research (CENIT). In the first place,
researchers from the CIMA and from the University Hospital of Navarra
will provide their scientific research concerning lung cancer to the
project “Oncnosis,” which, with a budget of 26.6 million euros, will
focus on four types of cancer (ovarian, lung, colorectal and melanoma).
This project intends to take advantage of the market potential of the
three types of businesses which make up the consortium: pharmaceutics,
biotechnology and engineering/telecommunications. The platform promoted
by the Ferrer Group includes, in addition to the CIMA, the corporations
Oryzon Genomics, Siemens, Laboratorios LETI, Ingenasa, Integromics,
Advancell and Solutex, among others. Other institutions participating
in the project will include centers associated with the Consejo
Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, hospitals such as the
University Hospital of Navarra, technological parks and universities.
In addition, the School of Pharmacy and the Radiopharmacy Service of
the University Hospital will form part of the second approved group.
The work of the researchers of the Special Research Line in
Nanotechnologies and Controlled Release of Drugs, belonging to the
Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Technology, will involve the
development of nanoparticle prototypes associated with active molecules
in order to facilitate their administration by distinct means. The
“Nanofarma” project will have a budget of 38 million euros.
Public-private cooperation in R&D&I
Concretely, the scientists will focus on the design of new drug
delivery systems capable of selectively carrying the medications to the
chosen organ, tissue or target cell. This will result in a dramatic
improvement in the therapeutic properties of the drugs produced by the
various companies in this industry.
The laboratories Pharmamar,
Neuropharma, Rovi, Lipotec and Grupo FAES are promoting the platform.
In addition, centers associated with various schools of Pharmacy in
Spanish universities will participate in the project. Among these are
the University of Navarra, the Universidad del País Vasco and the
Universidad Complutense of Madrid.
The CENIT of the Ministry of
Industry seeks to foment public-private cooperation in R&D&I
(research, development and innovation). The global investment will be
200 million euros over four years. During the bid period, 53 consortia
presented projects, of which 16 were approved; in total, these will
involve 175 businesses and more than 200 research groups with 800
professionals.
Half of the businesses involved are of either
small or medium size, and the professionals come from public centers,
universities, technological centers and non-profit research institutes.
School of Pharmacy Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Technology University Hospital of the University of Navarra