The European Laboratory Research & Innovation Group (ELRIG) UK and the British Pharmacological Society, have formed a strategic alliance. Under the two-year agreement the companies will leverage each other’s scientific communities to gain access to new openings for scientific exchange and collaboration between industry, academia and the clinic to help drive the successful discovery and development of new medicines across the UK.
 
The two groups will work in complementary sectors of the UK pharma and biopharma industries, academia and clinical pharmacology. ELRIG UK and the British Pharmacological Society have committed to hosting joint and complementary meetings. The alliance also offers both groups a wider reach, to help grow their audiences and create exciting new opportunities for early career professionals’ education and training. 
 
ELRIG UK’s goal is to provide leading-edge knowledge to the life sciences community on an open access basis, via a program of scientific meetings and events. The British Pharmacological Society promotes and advances pharmacology by hosting conferences, publishing peer-reviewed journals and supporting the development of educational materials and policy proposals. 
 
Steve Rees, chairman of ELRIG UK, and vice president of Discovery Biology at AstraZeneca, said, “The strategic alliance with the British Pharmacological Society formalizes a joint goal of growth in the industrial and academic segments, and recognizes the harmonies between our organizations. Joining forces will help us improve education, networking and other services available to our communities, allowing us to become more impactful advocates for the life sciences industry.”
 
Professor Steve Hill, president of the British Pharmacological Society, and Professor of Molecular Pharmacology at the University of Nottingham, said, “We recognize that modern drug discovery is a multi-stakeholder process, and that professionals are likely to move between sectors throughout the course of their working lives. It therefore makes sense for our programs to represent all facets of drug discovery, and we look forward to working with ELRIG UK to help achieve this goal.”