ALBUQUERQUE, NM -- (Marketwire) -- 10/28/09 -- Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute (LRRI) recently announced the formation of a research agreement between the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine of the Department of Medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH), teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School in Boston. Leading the collaboration from LRRI is Yohannes Tesfaigzi, PhD, senior scientist, Director of COPD Program; Adjunct Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of New Mexico School of Medicine; and the Respiratory Immunology and Asthma Program at LRRI.

Dr. Tesfaigzi says, "In this formal agreement, the two organizations have developed a collaboration to advance our knowledge of the mechanisms of respiratory disease and develop new therapeutic approaches." He continues, "Of particular value is the merging of clinical and basic science expertise between the two organizations."

Brigham and Women's Hospital has noted clinical scientists, and access to large respiratory and patient populations. LRRI has well-known basic scientists and access to extensive animal models of respiratory diseases. LRRI executes Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) studies and BWH executes Good Clinical Practice (GCP) studies. The partnership is anticipated to not only advance knowledge of the mechanisms of disease but directly impact new drug development.

Robert W. Rubin, PhD, CEO and president of Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute said, "This partnership will allow the sharing of facilities, equipment and expertise, and hiring of outstanding scientists and post doctoral fellows to work at one or both institutions all under the same program. Our goal is to realign research synergies by combining the strengths of both institutions to make progress in developing new effective approaches to serious respiratory diseases."

The collaboration agreement went into effect July 23, 2009, and is the first time any research company in respiratory disease from NM has been associated with Brigham and Women's Hospital, the teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School.

The Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute (LRRI) is a private, biomedical research organization dedicated to improving public health through research on the prevention, treatment and cure of respiratory disease. LRRI is based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, employs 103 Ph.D. level scientists and is an $82 million company. www.lrri.org