Ferring Pharmaceuticals and Karolinska Institutet announced a collaboration agreement under which a research center will be created for the understanding of the contribution of the human microbiome to physiology and pathophysiology. The agreement opens opportunities for the development of novel therapies. The programme will be fully funded by Ferring Pharmaceuticals and governed by a joint steering committee. Professor Lars Engstrand, from Karolinska Institutet, will be named the director.
The therapeutic areas where Ferring has extensive expertise shall represent the focus of the project. The Science for Life Laboratory (SciLifeLab) shall provide access to a broad technical platform for studying complex microbiological communities in well-defined human material.