International Seminar: Moscow, December 10-11 2007

Representatives of international health care, science (including: WHO, CDC, major universities), big Pharma, and biotechnological business from EU, US, and Canada joined scientists and senior officials from the Russian Federation and other countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS): Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, and Tajikistan, to share their vision of the current developments in new drug discovery 

The main topics discussed during the expert meeting sessions concerned:

Results of ISTC funded R&D and infrastructural projects;
IPR protection, Licensing, Technology Transfer;
Clusters and Consortiums for fundraising in Drug Discovery Area; and
Novel anti-infectious drugs and delivery systems.

The ISTC and its Funding Parties consider the area of Drug Discovery as one of the most prospective for sustainability development. ISTC Parties and Partners have supported this priority area in Russia and other countries of the CIS through funding R&D and infrastructure projects, training in business development, IPR protection, quality issues (GLP/GMP/GCP), supporting communications through the Scientific Subscription Initiative, and promoting Russian and CIS institutes and the results of their work nationally and globally. 

The 3D-TI is a new partnership effort between the ISTC Parties to promote the development of novel therapeutics to combat emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases and cancer. The 3D-TI will build upon a set of workshops and pilot projects to develop a portfolio of ISTC projects and related support activities, with a view to establishing long-term, cooperative research and development relationships between ISTC beneficiary institutes with CIS health care agencies and organizations, Pharma and Bioscience organs of State power. 

The main goals of the 3D-TI, which were developed during the December Seminar, are to: 

• support innovative medicine research and development; 
• enhance preclinical development and production capacities; 
• foster self-sustaining relationships; 
• support international collaboration, and provide market promotion; and 
• generate sustainable civilian employment opportunities for ISTC beneficiary scientists. 

Several issues were suggested to be included in the developing 3D-TI program: 
Propose a 3D-TI Steering Committee;
Assess and advise ISTC Parties and Partners on the R&D an technology development projects with the strongest commercialization potential to be funded through ISTC;
Support of CIS consortiums and clusters working in the area of Drug Discovery and facilitate their interaction with consortiums/clusters within the EU (FP7)/US in the area of Drug Discovery;
Provide information support to the Drug Discovery process through Scientific Subscription Initiative;
Provide support for quality upgrade issues (GXP) including national and international training, certification and third party audits;
Facilitate matchmaking of the research teams, with developed R&D results, with national and global BIO and Pharma business by presenting the most promising results at the acknowledged international Bio-events (Bio-Europe, Bio-USA, Bio-Japan);
Discuss the creation of Center for Technology Transfer with involved agencies and organizations (RAS, RAMs, FASI, Rosprom); 
Further discuss antiviral drug discovery, new antibiotic discovery, probiotics as alternatives to antibiotics, non-rodents and primates in preclinical trials, personalized medicine, new shortened models of Drug Development process (adaptive models, in-silico models), in the form of Scientific workshops and Expert meetings;
Coordinate ISTC efforts in 3D with RF agencies and interested ISTC Parties/Partners.

The 3D-TI Seminar was held with the financial assistance of Canada, the European Union, and the US, as Parties to the Agreement establishing the International Science and Technology Centre (ISTC)".