Southern Research

Southern Research is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) research organization that conducts basic and applied research for commercial and non-commercial organizations across four divisions: Drug Development, Drug Discovery, Energy & Environment, and Engineering.[1]

Southern Research, Birmingham, AL

History

Southern Research was founded in Birmingham, AL on October 11, 1941 by Thomas Martin as the Alabama Research Institute.[2]

Although Martin was named chairman of the newly chartered organization in December, 1941, activities were put on hold in the aftermath of Pearl Harbor and the beginning of US involvement in World War II. Two years later, in December 1943, with a promise of support from the Alabama Power Company, Martin reengaged the Alabama's industrial leaders and received over $100,000 in philanthropic donations.[3]

Alabama Power Company pledged an additional $15,000 per year for five years, $75,000 total, and this was enough for the organization to finance laboratory space and hire researchers and staff. The following year, 1944, the decision was made to change the institute's name from Alabama Research Institute, to Southern Research Institute.[3]

Around this same time, Southern Research Institute hired its first director, Wilbur Lazier. Though he only stayed in this role for four years, Lazier is credited with recruiting many figures that shaped the history of the organization, including Howard E. Skipper.[4]

Southern Research celebrated its 75th Anniversary on October, 2016.[5]

Drug Development

Southern Research's Drug Development division is the largest of the organization's four divisions. Set up like a contract research organization (CRO), Southern Research provides commercial and government clients with nonclinical and clinical trial support services.[6] [6] They offer studies including both in vitro and in vivo testing of small molecule compounds, vaccines, biologics, and other test articles in therapeutic areas including infectious disease, CNS and cancer. Current service areas include: Bioanalytical Analysis; Anticancer Efficacy Services; Immunology; Infectious Disease; Pathology; and Consulting.

In August, 2016, Southern Research hired Tim McGrath to serve as the new vice president of Drug Development.[7]

Drug Discovery

Southern Research's Drug Discovery division conducts research focused on oncology, infectious disease, and neuroscience. Their current service areas include: High Throughput Screening (THS);[8] Chemistry; Oncology; Infectious Disease; Neuroscience; and the Center for Neuromolecular Research.

Southern Research is a founding member of the Alabama Drug Discovery Alliance (ADDA) along with the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine (SOM). The UAB Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS), and the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center (CCC) are also crucial contributors to the ADDA.[9]

Energy and Environment

Southern Research's Energy & Environment division focuses on technology for clean energy, clean air, and clean water. Southern Research develops and tests air and water emissions control technologies for leading utilities, industrial manufacturers, municipal water utilities, and related trade organizations. The division has also historically partnered with private sector firms and government agencies to develop new technologies that transform energy generation, chemical synthesis, and air and water purification.[10]

In June, 2016, Southern Research hired senior nuclear engineer, Lance Kim, Ph.D., to spearhead the organization’s expansion into Generation IV nuclear reactor research.[11]

Engineering

Southern Research engineers have worked with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the U.S. Military and other organizations.[12]

Current areas include: Non destructive evaluation of materials; Chemistry and Physics of Materials; Electrical, EO/IR, and Mechanical Systems; Hypersonic Structures; Space Structures Characterization; Mechanical Testing of Materials Structures and Components; and Thermal Testing of Materials.

AIMTech

In 2014, Southern Research and the University of Alabama at Birmingham formed the Alliance for Innovative Medical Technology (AIMTech) to develop new medical devices to improve healthcare.[13]

The creation of medical devices are across all five specializations: Cardiology, Orthopedics, Ophthalmology, Rehabilitation and Trauma. The goal is for the first group of AIMTech-created medical devices to hit the market by 2020. By comparison, it can take 10 years to create an FDA approved drug.[14]

Cancer Research

Southern Research cancer research program was started in 1946 with a $25,000 philanthropic donation from Mobile, AL businessman, Ben E. May.[15]

The organization's scientists are credited with the discovery of seven Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved anti-cancer drugs, including carmustine, lomustine, dacarbazine, fludarabine, amifostine, clofarabine and the latest pralatrexate (approved in 2009). Notable cancer researchers who worked at the institute include Howard E. Skipper,[1] John Montgomery, Frank Schabel and Lee Bennett Jr.

Clofarabine[16] is a nucleoside discovered at Southern Research that eventually received FDA approval. Clofarabine, a second-generation nucleoside analogue received accelerated approval from the US FDA at the end of 2004 for the treatment of paediatric patients 1–21 years old with relapsed or refractory acute lymphoblastic leukaemia after at least two prior regimens. It is the first such drug to be approved for paediatric leukaemia in more than a decade, and the first to receive approval for paediatric use before adult use.[16]

Pralatrexate is another anticancer drug whose discovery was a result of contributions from medicinal chemists at Southern Research along with chemists from SRI International and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. The US FDA announced the approval of pralatrexate in 2009 for the treatment of relapsed or refractory peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL).[17] Research on drugs of this class began at SRI International in the 1950s. Pralatrexate was first prepared there by Dr. Joseph DeGraw and Dr. William Colwell. Dr. Robert Piper at Southern Research synthesized the key starting material (a bromomethyl compound) which was used to prepare the intermediates needed to make multigram quantities of high purity final compound. Multiple issued patents on this compound are jointly owned by Southern Research, SRI International and Memorial Sloan Kettering and licensed to Allos Therapeutics.

Molecular Libraries Program

[18] MLP was founded by the NIH to fund research aimed at identifying new chemical probes against biological targets that might be amenable for drug therapy. Southern Research was one of eight extramural institutes selected for this initiative along with the Broad Institute, Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Scripps Research Institute, Vanderbilt University, University of New Mexico and the University of Kansas.[19] In addition the MLP initiative also included an NIH intramural site: the National Center for Chemical Genomics (NCGC).

Patents

References

  1. ↑ "About Southern Research". Southern Research.
  2. ↑ "Tom Martin, Alabama Power and the founding of Southern Research". Alabama News Center.
  3. 1 2 "Alabama Power and the founding of Southern Research". Alabama%20News%20Center. Alabama News Center.
  4. ↑ "Encyclopedia of Alabama".
  5. ↑ "Southern Research at 75: Discovering cancer drugs and extending lives". Southern Research.
  6. 1 2 "Cyclenium Pharma and Southern Research Institute Announce Drug Discovery and Development Collaboration". US Newswire.
  7. ↑ "Southern Research taps industry veteran to lead drug development in Birmingham". Alabama News Center.
  8. ↑ "Southern Research contracted for Zika drug discovery". Birmingham Business Journal.
  9. ↑ "Southern Research: Making Strides in Life-Changing Science for 75 Years". Protective Newsroom.
  10. ↑ Harney, Erin. "Alabama News Center". Alabama News Center.
  11. ↑ Alexander, Alan (June 15, 2016). "Southern Research starts nuclear energy program following new hire". Birmingham Business Journal: http://www.bizjournals.com/birmingham/news/2016/06/15/southern-research-starts-nuclear-energy-program.html.
  12. ↑ Beyerle, Dana. "Southern Research New NASA Contract of Nearly $10 million". Business Council of Alabama.
  13. ↑ "U.S. Economic Development Administration". U.S. Economic Development Administration.
  14. ↑ "EDA.gov". U.S. Economic Development Administration.
  15. ↑ "Ben May's Gift Launches Cancer Program". Alabama News Center.
  16. 1 2 Bonate, Peter L.; Arthaud, Larry; Cantrell, William R.; Stephenson, Katherine; Secrist, John A.; Weitman, Steve (2006). "Discovery and development of clofarabine: a nucleoside analogue for treating cancer". Nature Reviews Drug Discovery. 5 (10): 855–63. doi:10.1038/nrd2055. PMID 17016426.
  17. ↑ "FDA Approval for Pralatrexate - National Cancer Institute". Retrieved 2009-12-05.
  18. ↑
  19. ↑

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/28/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.