BioWorld International Correspondent

LONDON - Big pharma publicly dipped its toe into human embryonic stem cells for the first time with the formation of Stem Cells for Safer Medicines (SC4SM), a public-private consortium that will research the use of stem cells for preclinical toxicity testing and other areas of drug discovery. The initiative will not investigate the therapeutic potential of stem cells.

The consortium has backing from GlaxoSmithKline plc, AstraZeneca plc, both of London, and F. Hoffmann La Roche, of Basel, Switzerland. The independent, not-for-profit company was initiated by the UK Department of Health and is supported by the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry, the Scottish government and two of the UK's research councils.

Science Minister Ian Pearson said the formation of SC4SM was a core part of the government's 10-year strategy for stem cell research in the UK. "This collaboration . . . is an example not only of our commitment to stem cell research but also our commitment to work in partnership with industry to speed the development of safer medicines."

The initiative brings together scientific expertise in stem cell research and preclinical toxicity testing, to provide guidance and funding for academic research. Its aim is to overcome scientific hurdles and establish open standards and techniques for applying stem cells in drug discovery.

All the research will be precompetitive and the partnership will share its findings, enabling them to be widely adopted. It is expected the work will help to identify potential side effects in vitro, before animal or human trials are carried out.

At its launch SC4SM, based in Oxford, UK, called for proposals from research partners for the first phase of a five-year program, in which it wants to overcome hurdles in getting hepatocytes to differentiate from existing cell lines.

In parallel, an independent scientific advisory board, chaired by Glyn Stacey, head of the UK Stem Cell Bank, will provide advice and map out the longer-term scientific program.

SC4SM noted that stem cell research is an area of science that raises public concerns, and the partnership is set up under a clear ethical framework. It will operate in accordance with the standards established by UK Stem Cell Bank, only using ethically sourced stem cell lines already banked, or registered to be banked, in the facility.

In early 2008, an independent ethical advisory board will be established to audit and review the policy and advise its membership.

"There is huge potential for stem cell technology to improve medicines development, but major scientific hurdles to realize the opportunities remain," said Philip Wright, chief executive of SC4SM who also is director of science and technology at ABPI. "This partnership takes advantage of the UK's position in this emerging science, brings together stem cell and medicine safety scientists, and also facilitates participation from companies in Europe and the rest of the world."