A Small Step

GlaxoSmithKline plans to open its labs to outside, nonprofit collaborators to spur research into malaria and other neglected diseases, Chief Executive Andrew Witty told Forbes. One such project for therapies to treat parasitic worms is being carried out in conjunction with Emory University researchers and Alnylam Pharmaceuticals. “GSK is providing us direct access to the scientists and all of the [internal] reports in the program. ... Talking to scientists and finding out what [compounds] are the good ones, that is huge, says Emory’s Dennis Liotta. At the Tree of Life, Jonathan Eisen blogs that “this could be a good first step. But if they really want to advance malaria vaccine research, perhaps they should release their data to everyone?”