Partnerships: Future Models for Drug Discovery Highlights from the Society for Medicines Research Symposium Held on June 20 2013 at the Lilly Research Laboratories, Manor House Conference Centre, Erl Wood Manor, Windlesham, Surrey, Uk

With the intention of bringing together leading academic researchers, industry scientists, business development experts and scientific policy makers, the Society for Medicines Research (SMR) hosted a highly engaging and thought-provoking meeting entitled “Partnerships: Future Models for Drug Discovery” at the Lilly Research Centre in Windlesham, Surrey. With the challenges to discover and develop innovative and differentiated new medicines having never been greater and with many questions arising around the viability of current pharmaceutical business models, this meeting offered the opportunity to explore potential new ways to bring innovation and productivity to the drug discovery sector. Through a series of presentations from leading figures from across the public and private sector, the conference aimed to explore novel business models for research and development and to discuss on the changing dynamics around the interactions between traditional models for academia, industry and funders.