Workpackage 05

Workpackage Objectives

• Development of a new methodology for measuring endogenous serotonin and noradrenaline levels in human brain.
• Application of the combined use of radioligand binding and functional imaging of transmitter levels for target validation.

Workpackage Leads

Academic Lead: Dr. Christer Halldin, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden
EFPIA Lead: Dr. Erik Wong, AstraZeneca AB, US

Workpackage Partners

• H. Lundbeck A/S
• Karolinska Institutet
• AstraZeneca AB
• GSK Company Ltd
• Novartis Pharma AG
• Orion Corporation
• F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG

Synergy between academia and industry

This workpackage brings together the combined chemistry and biology resources of the European pharmaceutical industry as a tremendous asset when positioned in a collaborative fashion with academic centers having extensive experience in radioligand development. While such collaborations have previously only been attempted on a small scale across two partners – NEWMEDs creates an opportunity for an open and extensive collaboration. Besides GSK, no European industry has access to the full range of expertise and technical equipment in a PET-center, hence a coordinated effort in the workpackage offer increased chance of success to overcome technical and biololgical challenges. The tasks outlined also provide numerous opportunities for cross-training/-learning between academia and industry – and we anticipate a number of students, industry-scientists and post-doctoral fellows to be cross-trained in this workpackage.