{"id":132714,"date":"2025-04-10T11:08:39","date_gmt":"2025-04-10T15:08:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/camed\/?post_type=bu-article&#038;p=132714"},"modified":"2025-04-14T11:59:51","modified_gmt":"2025-04-14T15:59:51","slug":"global-biopharma-giant-gsk-and-bu-announce-collaboration-to-pioneer-new-lung-disease-treatments","status":"publish","type":"bu-article","link":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/camed\/medicine\/articles\/2025\/global-biopharma-giant-gsk-and-bu-announce-collaboration-to-pioneer-new-lung-disease-treatments\/","title":{"rendered":"Global Biopharma Giant GSK and BU Announce Collaboration to Pioneer New Lung Disease Treatments"},"content":{"rendered":"\t<div class=\"wp-block-editorial-leadin medicine-block-editorial-leadin is-style-text-to-image has-media has-media-focus-center-top has-tertiary-theme\">\n\t\t<div class=\"container-lockup\">\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-leadin-media\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<img width=\"1093\" height=\"400\" src=\"\/camed\/files\/2025\/04\/191586_BU_singles-LowRes.jpeg\" class=\"\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/camed\/files\/2025\/04\/191586_BU_singles-LowRes.jpeg 1093w, https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/camed\/files\/2025\/04\/191586_BU_singles-LowRes-636x233.jpeg 636w, https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/camed\/files\/2025\/04\/191586_BU_singles-LowRes-1024x375.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/camed\/files\/2025\/04\/191586_BU_singles-LowRes-768x281.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/camed\/files\/2025\/04\/191586_BU_singles-LowRes-540x198.jpeg 540w, https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/camed\/files\/2025\/04\/191586_BU_singles-LowRes-1080x395.jpeg 1080w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1093px) 100vw, 1093px\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"container-words-outer\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"container-words-inner\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"wp-prepress-tag\">Research<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"head\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGlobal Biopharma GiantGSK and BU AnnounceCollaboration to Pioneer NewLung Disease Treatments\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"deck\">Linkup aims to drive research into pulmonary fibrosis, a disease with no existing cure<\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-leadin-caption wp-prepress-component-caption\">CReM researchers and staff gather with GSK representatives and University and state officials to<br>celebrate the new partnership.<\/p>\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar medicine-prepress-layout-metabar wp-prepress-component-metabar-hide\">\n\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-date\">April 10, 2025<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-credits\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-share js-bu-prepress-share-tools\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-twitter\"><span>Twitter<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-facebook\"><span>Facebook<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-action\"><\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s a disease that can literally take your breath away\u2014and there\u2019s no cure. As pulmonary fibrosis progresses, it causes scarring in the lungs, making it harder and harder to absorb oxygen into the bloodstream. For many of those with the most common form of the disease, idiopathic<br>pulmonary fibrosis, life expectancy is less than five years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A new collaboration between the global biopharma giant GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and researchers from the Center for Regenerative Medicine (CReM) of Boston University and Boston Medical Center (BMC) could bring hope to the millions around the world with the relentless condition, as well as other lung diseases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-bu-pullquote medicine-block-bu-pullquote alignwide has-image-focus-center-middle has-primary-theme has-primary-theme-text\"><div class=\"wp-block-bu-pullquote-inner\"><figure><\/figure><blockquote><div class=\"container-lockup\"><div class=\"container-icon-outer\"><div class=\"container-icon-inner\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"container-text\"><hr\/><div class=\"quote-sizing\">This exciting collaboration with GSK will help BU,<br\/>BMC, and CReM to make meaningful progress in the treatment of chronic lung diseases like pulmonary fibrosis. Together with GSK, we are poised to advance emerging research discoveries into real-world therapies for patients.<\/div><footer class=\"caption\">DARRELL KOTTON, MD<\/footer><hr\/><\/div><\/div><\/blockquote><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Together, they aim to use CReM-developed lung cells to better understand pulmonary fibrosis and to identify new drug targets to halt or slow its progression. United Kingdom\u2013based GSK will provide funding and indirect support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThis exciting collaboration with GSK will help BU, BMC, and CReM to make meaningful progress in the treatment of chronic lung diseases like pulmonary fibrosis,\u201d says Darrell Kotton, MD, CReM\u2019s founding director.<br>\u201cTogether with GSK, we are poised to advance emerging research discoveries into real-world therapies for patients.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pulmonary fibrosis, a type of interstitial lung disease, has a multitude of potential causes, including cigarette smoke, autoimmunity, and disrupted genes. As it gradually scars and stiffens the tiny air sacs in the lung known as alveoli, patients may feel shortness of breath and lose weight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Existing medications can slow the disease\u2019s progression, oxygen tanks can help alleviate symptoms, and a lung transplant might be an option for some patients, but clinicians soon run out of weapons to use against it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For the past 20 years, Kotton and his team have been using stem cell  technology to hunt for ways to study the onset and progression of lung  disease. Their work has focused on using patients\u2019 blood to create lung cells in the lab, so they can conduct research outside. of the body, or ex vivo. It involves a lot of cell reprogramming: turning blood cells into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), which returns them to an embryonic-like state, then nudging them to develop into lung cells. These cells become, e\u00a2ectively, a model of the lung, allowing researchers to watch them \u201cturn diseased in front of them,\u201d says Kotton, the David C. Seldin Professor of Medicine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-bu-pullquote medicine-block-bu-pullquote alignwide has-image-focus-center-middle has-primary-theme has-primary-theme-text\"><div class=\"wp-block-bu-pullquote-inner\"><figure><\/figure><blockquote><div class=\"container-lockup\"><div class=\"container-icon-outer\"><div class=\"container-icon-inner\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"container-text\"><hr\/><div class=\"quote-sizing\">\u201cI give the analogy of a black box fight recorder,<br\/>because you can replay all the events that led to<br\/>the malfunction over and over. You can understand the disease and then you can intervene at the set points where you want to<br\/>stop the progression\u2014and that\u2019s where the drug<br\/>development action is.\u201d<\/div><footer class=\"caption\"><br\/>DARRELL KOTTON, MD<\/footer><hr\/><\/div><\/div><\/blockquote><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/camed\/files\/2025\/04\/191586_BU_singles-LowRes-antman.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-132721\" width=\"582\" height=\"328\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/camed\/files\/2025\/04\/191586_BU_singles-LowRes-antman.jpeg 713w, https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/camed\/files\/2025\/04\/191586_BU_singles-LowRes-antman-636x359.jpeg 636w, https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/camed\/files\/2025\/04\/191586_BU_singles-LowRes-antman-540x305.jpeg 540w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 582px) 100vw, 582px\" \/><figcaption>Dean Karen Antman, MD, talks with Kevin Madauss, GSK director of strategic partnerships<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI give the analogy of a black box flight recorder, because you can replay all the events that led to the malfunction over and over,\u201d he says. \u201cYou can understand the disease and then you can intervene at the set points where you want to stop the progression\u2014and that\u2019s where the drug development action is.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Working with GSK, CReM researchers will significantly expand their bank of patient specimens, then apply those to modeling disease and developing new drugs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe have two applications for these cells,\u201d says Kotton, who is also a pulmonologist and critical care specialist at BMC, BU\u2019s primary teaching hospital. \u201cOne is to regenerate lung tissue in vivo through transplantation\u2014we\u2019re very excited and making rapid progress on that, but it\u2019s a long way off. For drug development and discovery, I think it\u2019s ready to go. How soon will new drugs be ready to apply in the clinic? I like to say, sooner than we think.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-bu-pullquote medicine-block-bu-pullquote alignwide is-style- has-image-focus-center-middle has-primary-theme has-primary-theme-text\"><div class=\"wp-block-bu-pullquote-inner\"><figure><\/figure><blockquote><div class=\"container-lockup\"><div class=\"container-icon-outer\"><div class=\"container-icon-inner\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"container-text\"><hr\/><div class=\"quote-sizing\">At BMC, we are committed to conducting high-quality interdisciplinary research that is grounded in equity: 70 percent of our patient population identify as being people of color, and data suggest that Black patients with pulmonary fibrosis have worse health outcomes at younger ages compared to Hispanic or white patients.<\/div><footer class=\"caption\">MEGAN BAIR\u0141MERRITT, MD, MSCE, BMC\u2019S CHIEF SCIENTIFIC OFFICER AND PROFESSOR OF PEDIATRICS<\/footer><hr\/><\/div><\/div><\/blockquote><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignleft size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"685\" height=\"541\" src=\"\/camed\/files\/2025\/04\/191586_BU_singles-LowRes-Hollenberg.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-132722\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/camed\/files\/2025\/04\/191586_BU_singles-LowRes-Hollenberg.jpeg 685w, https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/camed\/files\/2025\/04\/191586_BU_singles-LowRes-Hollenberg-636x502.jpeg 636w, https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/camed\/files\/2025\/04\/191586_BU_singles-LowRes-Hollenberg-456x360.jpeg 456w, https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/camed\/files\/2025\/04\/191586_BU_singles-LowRes-Hollenberg-648x512.jpeg 648w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 685px) 100vw, 685px\" \/><figcaption>BMC President Anthony Hollenberg, MD, and 9th Suffolk State Representative John Francis Moran.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>The linkup\u2019s initial period is three years, and Kotton and his colleagues hope BU and GSK will continue to work together after that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThrough this collaboration, we are poised to make significant advances in understanding the molecular mechanisms behind pulmonary fibrosis, which could ultimately transform how we treat these devastating diseases,\u201d says Kostas Alysandratos, MD, PhD, an assistant professor of medicine and codirector of the Interstitial Lung Disease Clinic at BMC. Along with stem cell biologist Andrea Alber, a CReM postdoctoral fellow, Alysandratos was one of the key players in developing the lung stem cells that will provide the foundation of the forthcoming work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAt BMC, we are committed to conducting high-quality interdisciplinary research that is grounded in equity: 70 percent of our patient population identify as being people of color, and data suggest that Black patients with pulmonary \ufb01brosis have worse health outcomes at younger ages compared to Hispanic or white patients,\u201d says Megan Bair-Merritt, BMC\u2019s chief scienti\ufb01c officer and a professor of pediatrics at BU\u2019s medical school. \u201cThe collaboration with GSK will inform the development of new treatments for lung diseases that help address these disparities and pave the way for a healthier future for everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>GSK is among the biggest pharmaceutical companies in the world. According to Kaivan Khavandi, MD, MRes, PhD, MBA MRCP, its senior vice president and global head of respiratory\/immunology R&amp;D, advancing new therapies requires \u201ca deep understanding of the genetic and cellular basis of disease.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"651\" src=\"\/camed\/files\/2025\/04\/191586_BU_singles-LowRes-group-1024x651.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-132723\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/camed\/files\/2025\/04\/191586_BU_singles-LowRes-group-1024x651.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/camed\/files\/2025\/04\/191586_BU_singles-LowRes-group-636x405.jpeg 636w, https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/camed\/files\/2025\/04\/191586_BU_singles-LowRes-group-768x488.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/camed\/files\/2025\/04\/191586_BU_singles-LowRes-group-540x343.jpeg 540w, https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/camed\/files\/2025\/04\/191586_BU_singles-LowRes-group.jpeg 1055w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption>CReM Director Darrell Kotton, MD, addresses his staff, researchers,<br>and GSK, University, and state offcials at the celebration.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cBy working together to establish this scienti\ufb01c discovery collaboration,\u201d he<br>says, \u201cwe will combine state-of-the-art translational models at the CReM, with extensive multiomic capabilities at GSK, to advance our understanding of the causal biology of \ufb01brotic lung disease and accelerate the discovery of more effective treatments\u2014which are so desperately needed in this area of respiratory medicine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Kotton first became interested in pulmonary \ufb01brosis when he was training as a pulmonologist and became frustrated by the lack of treatment options. The new connection with GSK marks a major milestone in his journey toward providing a solution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-bu-pullquote medicine-block-bu-pullquote alignwide has-image-focus-center-middle\"><div class=\"wp-block-bu-pullquote-inner\"><figure><\/figure><blockquote><div class=\"container-lockup\"><div class=\"container-icon-outer\"><div class=\"container-icon-inner\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"container-text\"><hr\/><div class=\"quote-sizing\">We can really harness the power of the cells in a much more expansive way.<\/div><footer class=\"caption\">DARRELL KOTTON, MD<\/footer><hr\/><\/div><\/div><\/blockquote><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe can really harness the power of the cells in a much more expansive way,\u201d says Kotton of the collaboration\u2019s potential. \u201cWhat GSK does best is taking small molecules to a scale and safety level where they can be changed into drugs that can be administered to patients\u2014and much more quickly than we could ever develop those kinds of approaches.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One other recent CReM breakthrough used stem cell technology to develop cells for potential transplantation into injured lungs to treat damage and disease. And Kotton says it was BU and CReM\u2019s reputation that sparked this new relationship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAt BU and BMC, we\u2019re known for iPSC-related lung research and, if a company is interested in applying those models to drug discovery in lung disease, it makes a lot of sense that they \ufb01nd us,\u201d he says. \u201cWe like to say all research is translational. I think this is evidence that pursuing basic discovery\u2014developmental biology, secrets of cell fate\u2014inevitably translates.\u201d \u25cf<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1008\" height=\"551\" src=\"\/camed\/files\/2025\/04\/191586_BU_singles-LowRes-Crem.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-132724\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/camed\/files\/2025\/04\/191586_BU_singles-LowRes-Crem.jpeg 1008w, https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/camed\/files\/2025\/04\/191586_BU_singles-LowRes-Crem-636x348.jpeg 636w, https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/camed\/files\/2025\/04\/191586_BU_singles-LowRes-Crem-768x420.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/camed\/files\/2025\/04\/191586_BU_singles-LowRes-Crem-540x295.jpeg 540w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1008px) 100vw, 1008px\" \/><figcaption>CReM Codirector Gustavo Mostoslavsky, MD, PhD (second from left), makes a point at the celebration.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It\u2019s a disease that can literally take your breath away\u2014and there\u2019s no cure. As pulmonary fibrosis progresses, it causes scarring in the lungs, making it harder and harder to absorb oxygen into the bloodstream. For many of those with the most common form of the disease, idiopathicpulmonary fibrosis, life expectancy is less than five years. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19603,"featured_media":132720,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"bu_prepress_billboard":"","_bu_prepress_primary_term":"","_bu_prepress_primary_term_manual":"Research"},"tags":[94],"bu-publication":[366],"medicine-article-category":[371],"medicine-topic":[],"news-article-category":[],"news-topic":[],"bu_edition":[368],"media_type":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/camed\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/132714"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/camed\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/camed\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/bu-article"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/camed\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19603"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/camed\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=132714"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/camed\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/132714\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":132992,"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/camed\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/132714\/revisions\/132992"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/camed\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/132720"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/camed\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=132714"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/camed\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=132714"},{"taxonomy":"bu-publication","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/camed\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-publication?post=132714"},{"taxonomy":"medicine-article-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/camed\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/medicine-article-category?post=132714"},{"taxonomy":"medicine-topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/camed\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/medicine-topic?post=132714"},{"taxonomy":"news-article-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/camed\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-article-category?post=132714"},{"taxonomy":"news-topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/camed\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-topic?post=132714"},{"taxonomy":"bu_edition","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/camed\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu_edition?post=132714"},{"taxonomy":"media_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/camed\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media_type?post=132714"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}