SARATOGA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Myelin Repair Foundation (MRF) today announced the launch of its internship program assessing the drug discovery decision-making process in Phase III clinical trial failures. Twenty-six participating graduate students from University of California, Los Angeles will serve as MRF research consultant interns who will apply the comprehensive drug discovery principles established by the Myelin Repair Foundation’s Translational Medicine Platform to 120 drug candidates that previously failed in Phase 2 and 3 trials due to lack of efficacy. Students will acquire in-depth knowledge regarding the clinical drug development process, interact with pharmaceutical industry experts and gain valuable research consulting experience through the MRF Research Consultant Internship program.
Under the guidance of Dr. Mike Gresser, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer of the Myelin Repair Foundation and faculty lecturer at the College of Letters and Sciences at UCLA, the MRF Research Consultant Interns will assess the decision-making process that led to clinical trial failures by applying the comprehensive drug discovery principles defined in the Myelin Repair Foundation’s Translational Medicine Platform. Designed to de-risk the pharmaceutical industry’s pathway for clinical trials, the MRF Translational Medicine Platform establishes a thorough, systematic strategy to guide drug discovery decisions, ensuring scientifically-sound ‘go/no go’ decisions for successful clinical trials. The MRF Translational Medicine Platform identifies and advances the most promising drug candidates forward, establishing an efficient, effective drug discovery paradigm that accelerates drug development for all disease indications.
“With Phase 3 clinical trial failure rates continuing to increase in the pharmaceutical industry, we are proud to support these interns as the next generation of pharma industry professionals. This internship will provide students the opportunity to analyze drug data in order to avoid costly failures and accelerate effective therapeutics to patients, a goal that is integral to the mission of the Myelin Repair Foundation,” said MRF Chief Scientific Officer Dr. Mike Gresser, PhD. “We want to send a clear message—patients simply cannot wait for new effective treatments, and with the consistent application of the Translational Medicine Platform established by the MRF, we support a brighter future for the pharmaceutical industry and all patients.”
About the Myelin Repair Foundation
The Myelin Repair Foundation (MRF) (http://www.myelinrepair.org) is a Silicon Valley-based, non-profit research organization focused on accelerating the discovery and development of myelin repair therapeutics for multiple sclerosis. Its Accelerated Research Collaboration™ (ARC™) model is designed to optimize the entire process of medical research, drug development and the delivery of patient treatments.