Wash U and Pfizer announced a five-year, $25 million collaboration yesterday that will utilize resources and scientists from both organizations to study immuno-inflammatory disease. Such agreements are not uncommon between industry and academia, but this one is turning some heads because of Pfizer's level of involvement. Previously, the pharma giant has been content to rain money down on researchers, then step aside to wait for whatever science results. In this new arrangement, however, Pfizer and Wash U will work together to identify, plan and carry out promising research projects.

The immuno-inflammatory focus seems like a natural one for this partnership. Many of the scientists at Pfizer's Chesterfield facility have a long history with inflammatory drugs from their Monsanto / Pharmacia days, and Wash U has been long been intent on establishing an expertise in translational medicine through its Biomed21 program.

Speaking of Biomed21, how will this new agreement fit into the planned research center the school announced back in November? That building was supposed to house facilities for a number of large-scale translational medicine groups, none of which were to be focused on immuno-inflammatory disease. Could this be a new focus for that center? Or will the Pfizer collaboration exist within already-existing departments at the school.

(...more from mednews.wustl.edu)