GlaxoSmithKline Donates Scientific Equipment to Advance IDRI's Global Health Mission

Gift enhances IDRI's capacity in the areas of vaccines, novel drugs, and diagnostics

SEATTLE, Oct. 3, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Infectious Disease Research Institute (IDRI) announces today that GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Biologicals Hamilton has donated a broad range of instrumentation and equipment that will assist IDRI as it designs and validates solutions to reduce the burden of disease in the developing world. IDRI will apply the gift as it prepares for clinical trials in the areas of tuberculosis, leishmaniasis, malaria, leprosy, and pandemic influenza.

"We at IDRI view this generous gift by our friends at GSK as a demonstration of confidence that the products IDRI is researching today will soon be making a difference for people worldwide," said H. Stewart Parker , IDRI's Chief Executive Officer.  "GSK's generous donation will enable new health technologies to be deployed for a number of diseases that particularly affect those in low resource settings."

"GSK has seen IDRI's talented scientists develop world-class technologies that have entered into numerous successful clinical trials," said Pamela Sager , Business Support Manager at GSK.  "We believe that the equipment we are giving to IDRI will not only further the world's scientific understanding of infectious diseases, but that this gift will also advance IDRI's global health mission."

GSK acquired the equipment when the company purchased the former Corixa site in Seattle in 2005.

About IDRI
IDRI is a Seattle-based not-for-profit organization committed to applying innovative science to the research and development of products to prevent, detect, and treat infectious diseases of poverty. By integrating capabilities — including early stage drug discovery, preclinical testing, manufacturing, and clinical trials — IDRI strives to create an efficient pathway bringing scientific innovation from the laboratory to the people who need it most.

For more information, go to www.idri.org.
IDRI Contact: media@idri.org, 206-381-0883

About GSK
GlaxoSmithKline:  A Leader in Vaccines
GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals (GSK Biologicals), GlaxoSmithKline's vaccines business, is one of the world's leading vaccine companies and a leader in innovation.   The company is active in the fields of vaccine research, development and production with over 30 vaccines approved for marketing around the world and 20 more in development.

For more information, go to www.gsk.com.

SOURCE Infectious Disease Research Institute (IDRI)

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http://www.idri.org
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