GlaxoSmithKline, the London-based pharmaceutical company with an operation in Montgomery County, will ally with the Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute in La Jolla, Calif., all in the name of neuroscience, writes John George of the Philadelphia Business Journal.

The tandem will study brain function and ways to potentially reverse or slow down neurodegeneration.

According to George, GlaxoSmithKline will provide funding, under a three-year agreement, to create and support a research laboratory. Sanford Prebys Medical scientists will staff the center, along with postdoctoral candidates and technicians who will work with neuroscientists from GlaxoSmithKline.

Min Li, senior vice president and global head of neurosciences at GlaxoSmithKline, told George that the “rapid advances in science are characterized by both a deeper understanding of a specific topic and an awareness of the convergence across different, but related areas. Neurodegenerative diseases cross many fields of science, and this partnership takes full advantage of the depth and breadth in expertise both organizations bring to the table.”

The number of people worldwide living with dementia, one of the most common neurodegenerative conditions, is set to triple by 2050 to 135 million. However, there is currently no treatment that can prevent or cure the disorder.

Click here to read more about GlaxoSmithKline joining forces with the Sanford Prebys Medical to study brain function.

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