Turning Discoveries into Medicines that Improve Health
Developing a cure for a disease or a treatment to alleviate patient suffering requires years, often decades, of painstaking research at the laboratory bench before a discovery can undergo even the first tests in humans. Yet thousands of dedicated physicians and scientists worldwide devote their lives to these endeavors in the hope their discoveries may someday make a difference for patients.
Harrington Discovery Institute supports physicians and scientists in the U.S. and U.K. who are engaged in breakthrough research with the potential to be translated into treatments for diseases where the need is greatest. Since the institute’s founding in 2012, more than 100 physicians and scientists have benefited from the support and resources the institute provides as it executes its mission of advancing discoveries into medicines for the benefit of society.
Harrington Discovery Institute was established through a transformative gift from the Harrington family to advance the most promising scientific discoveries across the “Valley of Death” − the stage in drug development where a discovery is promising, but insufficiently validated to attract commercial investment.
Through a new model, Harrington Discovery Institute helps physicians and scientists move their discoveries across the Valley of Death by providing access to critical scientific and drug development expertise. A key to the model, Harrington Scholars are carefully matched with strategic advisors from the institute’s Therapeutic Development team who assist the researchers in advancing their drug discoveries closer to commercialization. The Therapeutic Development team includes experienced pharmaceutical professionals with deep knowledge in drug development.
In December 2018, Harrington Discovery Institute named its seventh class of Harrington Scholar-Innovators. These physician-scientists work in diverse research areas, including metabolic disorders, autoimmune disorders and cancer, and develop new approaches to eradicate parasitic diseases in developing countries.
Harrington Discovery Institute has expanded beyond its Scholar-Innovator Awards for physician-scientists, to include programs with the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation and Foundation for Fighting Blindness. In addition, the Harrington Rare Disease Scholar Award, sponsored by Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, was created in 2018. This new program provides drug development support to researchers whose discoveries show promise in the treatment of rare diseases.
Further solidifying its commitment to rare diseases, in February 2019, Harrington Discovery Institute announced the creation of the Oxford-Harrington Rare Disease Centre with the University of Oxford. This global center will bring the capabilities, resources and expertise of both institutions together to address rare diseases that affect millions of people worldwide.