Loss of Funding Affects Research World Leader

Loss of Funding Affects Research World Leader

Auckland, May 11, 2004: Auckland UniServices Limited, the commercial arm of The University of Auckland, was very disappointed at the cancellation of a Pfizer contract it had negotiated for cancer drug design research at The University of Auckland’s Cancer Society Research Centre, the company’s CEO Dr John Kernohan said today.

“The team led by Professor Bill Denny at the Centre are acknowledged world leaders in this area. We have had a long and very successful relationship with Pfizer in developing potential new treatments for cancer at the Centre, which has resulted in several new cancer drugs coming to clinical trial, so we are naturally very disappointed to see funding withdrawn from this project.

“Together with the University, we will be working to see if we can retain the unique capability Professor Denny’s team have developed.

“Clearly we believe that it is important for the development of a new research-based industry for New Zealand that very good relations exist between government and the international commercial therapeutics sector.”

Dr Kernohan said the project would continue to be funded under the original agreement with Pfizer til the end of 2004.

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