Confidence in Concept 2012 - University College London
Lead Research Organisation:
University College London
Department Name: UNLISTED
Abstract
Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.
Technical Summary
The Confidence in Concept scheme is a key part of MRC’s translational research strategy and provides annual awards to institutions, to be used flexibly to support the earliest stages of multiple translational research projects. The award can be used by the institution to support a number of preliminary-stage translational projects. The projects supported should aim to provide sufficient preliminary data to establish the viability of an approach –– before seeking more substantive funding. It is intended to accelerate the transition from discovery research to translational development projects by supporting preliminary work or feasibility studies to establish the viability of an approach.
People |
ORCID iD |
Publications
Ahmed AA
(2020)
A G-Quadruplex-Binding Small Molecule and the HDAC Inhibitor SAHA (Vorinostat) Act Synergistically in Gemcitabine-Sensitive and Resistant Pancreatic Cancer Cells.
in Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
Ahmed AA
(2020)
A G-quadruplex-binding compound shows potent activity in human gemcitabine-resistant pancreatic cancer cells.
in Scientific reports
Ahmed AA
(2020)
Asymmetrically Substituted Quadruplex-Binding Naphthalene Diimide Showing Potent Activity in Pancreatic Cancer Models.
in ACS medicinal chemistry letters
Bryden F
(2014)
Regioselective and stoichiometrically controlled conjugation of photodynamic sensitizers to a HER2 targeting antibody fragment.
in Bioconjugate chemistry
Colpitts CC
(2020)
Hepatitis C virus exploits cyclophilin A to evade PKR.
in eLife
Jacques DA
(2016)
HIV-1 uses dynamic capsid pores to import nucleotides and fuel encapsidated DNA synthesis.
in Nature
Lansdell SJ
(2015)
Activation of human 5-hydroxytryptamine type 3 receptors via an allosteric transmembrane site.
in Molecular pharmacology
Lee MTW
(2016)
Next-generation disulfide stapling: reduction and functional re-bridging all in one.
in Chemical science
| Description | BBSRC PhD CASE studentship (in partnership with Syngenta) - Neil Millar |
| Amount | £132,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | |
| Description | CRUK/Bayer Drug Discovery Award - Ashcroft |
| Amount | £200,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Cancer Research UK |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | |
| Description | Characterisation and therapeutic manipulation of Flaviviridae innate immune evasion |
| Amount | £421,323 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | MR/S023380/1 |
| Organisation | Medical Research Council (MRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 09/2019 |
| End | 09/2022 |
| Description | Characterisation of innate immune DNA sensing and viral evasion strategies. |
| Amount | £2,121,162 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | 108183/Z/15/Z |
| Organisation | Wellcome Trust |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 01/2015 |
| End | 09/2020 |
| Description | Johnson and Johnson Innovation Fund - Neidle |
| Amount | £99,476 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Johnson & Johnson |
| Sector | Private |
| Country | United States |
| Start | |
| Description | MRC Quinquennial Programme Grant - Mark Marsh |
| Amount | £24,000,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Medical Research Council (MRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | |
| Description | PoC Fund - Caddick |
| Amount | £29,876 (GBP) |
| Organisation | UCL Business |
| Sector | Private |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | |
| Description | Response mode grant - Caddick |
| Amount | £600,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | |
| Description | Super follow-on Fund - Caddick |
| Amount | £600,107 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | |
| Description | Translational Support Award (SBC) - Caddick |
| Amount | £145,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Albumedix Ltd |
| Sector | Private |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | |
| Description | UCL Business PoC Award - Towers |
| Amount | £54,996 (GBP) |
| Organisation | UCL Business |
| Sector | Private |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 08/2013 |
| Description | UCL Business Proof of Concept - Caddick |
| Amount | £29,476 (GBP) |
| Organisation | UCL Business |
| Sector | Private |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | |
| Description | UCL Therapeutic Innovation Fund - Towers |
| Amount | £59,387 (GBP) |
| Organisation | University College London |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | |
| Description | UCLH BRC SBC technology evaluation grant - Caddick |
| Amount | £250,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | National Institute for Health Research |
| Department | NIHR Biomedical Research Centre |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | |
| Description | UCLH/UCL BRC grant - Towers - Development of broad specificity anti-viral drugs |
| Amount | £199,555 (GBP) |
| Organisation | National Institute for Health Research |
| Department | NIHR Biomedical Research Centre |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 08/2016 |
| End | 08/2019 |
| Description | UTF - Niedle |
| Amount | £1,000,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | UCL Business |
| Sector | Private |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 01/2017 |
| End | 12/2018 |
| Description | Wellcome Trust Senior Biomedical Research Fellowship - Towers |
| Amount | £2,121,162 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Wellcome Trust |
| Department | Wellcome Trust Senior Research Fellowship |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 10/2015 |
| End | 09/2020 |
| Description | What is special about pandemic HIV-1? How capsid cofactor interactions regulate DNA synthesis, innate immune detection and pandemic potential |
| Amount | £2,110,344 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | 214344/Z/18/Z |
| Organisation | Wellcome Trust |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 01/2019 |
| End | 12/2023 |
| Description | Ashcroft CiC collaboration with CRT |
| Organisation | Cancer Research Technology (CRT) |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Discovery of novel HIF pathway inhibitors for the treatment of cancer. UCL group provides project leadership, disease and HIF biology background knowledge and expertise along with medicinal chemistry and complex bioassay capabilities. |
| Collaborator Contribution | CRT provided basic bioassay resource and some medicinal chemistry support. |
| Impact | Active inhibitory compounds that form the basis of subsequent grant applications. Multi-disciplinary: Cell biology, medicinal chemistry, synthestic organic chemistry |
| Start Year | 2015 |
| Description | Caddick CiC project collaboration with Novozymes |
| Organisation | Novozymes |
| Country | Denmark |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Thiologics is a UCL Business PLC (UCLB) wholly owned company spun-out of UCL Chemistry. The company aims to commercialise new bioconjugation technologies developed in the laboratories of Professor Stephen Caddick and Dr James Baker. ThioLogics is particularly focused on delivering technology that will enable the construction of homogeneous antibody-drug conjugate therapeutics (ADCs). Novozymes Biopharma has entered a new collaboration with UK-based biotechnology company ThioLogics. The collaboration brings together Novozymes' modified recombinant human albumin (rAlbumin) Veltis technology with ThioLogics' site-specific second generation maleimide conjugation platform. This allows Novozymes to offer the pharma industry serum stable albumin drug conjugates with enhanced pharmacokinetic and/or targeting capabilities. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The collaboration brings together Novozymes' modified recombinant human albumin (rAlbumin) Veltis technology with ThioLogics' site-specific second generation maleimide conjugation platform. This allows Novozymes to offer the pharma industry serum stable albumin drug conjugates with enhanced pharmacokinetic and/or targeting capabilities. |
| Impact | Too early to report on specific outcomes. |
| Start Year | 2015 |
| Description | Marsh CiC project collaboration with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) |
| Organisation | GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) |
| Country | Global |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Drug discovery for novel anti-vrial treatments |
| Collaborator Contribution | Contribution of analogue compounds of active hits from screening. |
| Impact | Further compounds have been avaialble for testing. Too early to know ultimalte benefit. |
| Start Year | 2015 |
| Title | CHEMICAL MODIFICATION OF ANTIBODIES |
| Description | The present invention relates to antibodies and antibody fragments, one or more of whose native inter-chain disulfide bridges have been replaced with a specific bridging moiety. The bridging moiety can be selectively targeted to inter-chain disulfide bonds within the antibody or antibody fragment, enabling the construction of more homogeneously modified products such as antibody-drug conjugates. |
| IP Reference | WO2013132268 |
| Protection | Patent granted |
| Year Protection Granted | 2013 |
| Licensed | Commercial In Confidence |
| Impact | Early days, but has the potenrtial to transform the production of homogeneous ADCs |
| Title | COMPOUNDS AND THEIR SYNTHESIS |
| Description | The present invention relates to sulfonium salts of formula (I): (I), their preparation, and utility as precursors for preparing functionalised organic compounds, wherein R1 and R2 are the same or different and each is independently selected from an optionally substituted aryl group, an optionally substituted alkynyl group, an optionally substituted alkenyl group, an optionally substituted alkyl group, an optionally substituted cycloalkyl group, an optionally substituted cycloalkenyl group, an optionally substituted aralkyl group, an optionally substituted arylalkenyl group, an optionally substituted heteroaryl group, an optionally substituted heterocyclyl group, an optionally substituted amine, an optionally substituted alkoxy group, an optionally substituted thioether group, an optionally substituted phosphine group, an optionally substituted boron species, an optionally substituted carbene, an organometallic moiety, and a halide, or R1 and R2 are joined together to form an optionally substituted sulfur-containing ring; W is a bond, an optionally substituted alkynylene group, an optionally substituted alkenylene group, and optionally substituted alkylene group, an optionally substituted heterocyclyl group, an optionally substituted aryl group or an optionally substituted heteroaryl group; R3 is a moiety comprising at least one basic group, provided that when R3 does not contain any carbon atoms, W is not a bond; X is an anionic species; and n is an integer selected from 1 to 5. |
| IP Reference | WO2014057291 |
| Protection | Patent granted |
| Year Protection Granted | 2014 |
| Licensed | No |
| Impact | None as yet |
| Title | G-QUADRUPLEX STABILISING AGENT |
| Description | A compound of formula (I) (Formula (I)) wherein Ar1 is a bicyclic aryl or heteroaryl, which may be optionally substituted; X and Y are each independently a group of formula (II): (Formula (II)) L1 and L2 are each independently selected from NR3, C2H2, CH2, -O-, -S- and a bond; Ar2 and Ar3 are independently optionally substituted C5 or C6 aryl or heteroaryl; Q is selected from NH(C=O), NR3, S, O; n is an integer from 1 to 5; R1 and R2 are optionally substituted and are independently hydrogen, C1-7 alkyl, C3-20 heterocyclyl, or C5-20 aryl, or R1 and R2, taken together with the nitrogen atom to which they are attached, form a heterocyclic ring having from 3 to 8 ring atoms; R3 is H or C1-7 alkyl. |
| IP Reference | WO2012136997 |
| Protection | Patent / Patent application |
| Year Protection Granted | 2012 |
| Licensed | Yes |
| Impact | Project licensed to Qualigen Therapeutics Inc, San Diego in January 2022. FDA granted the lead compound Orphan Drug status for pancreatic cancer in January 2023. Project is in final regulatory toxicology stages, with IND submission spring 2023 and intended start of Phase 1 clinical trials Q2/Q3 of 2023. |
| Title | HIF INHIBITORS |
| Description | The invention provides inhibitors of hypoxia-inducible factors (HIF), and their use in the prevention or inhibition of diseases characterised by abnormal HIF activity or levels, such as tumour progression, and the treatment of cancer. The invention encompasses pharmaceutical compositions with a mechanism of action for blocking elevated HIF activity in diseases, such as cancer. |
| IP Reference | WO2015079213 |
| Protection | Patent application published |
| Year Protection Granted | 2015 |
| Licensed | No |
| Impact | To be determined |
| Title | NAPHTHALENE DIIMIDE COMPOUNDS INTERACTING WITH G-QUADRUPLEX REGIONS IN DNA |
| Description | The invention relates to novel compounds which are naphthalene diimides of general formula (I). The compounds are used in therapy, particularly in cancer treatment. |
| IP Reference | WO2009068916 |
| Protection | Patent granted |
| Year Protection Granted | 2009 |
| Licensed | No |
| Impact | To be determined |
| Title | NON-IMMUNOSUPPRESSIVE CYCLOSPORIN DERIVATIVES AS ANTIVIRAL AGENTS |
| Description | A cyclosporin derivative which is a compound of formula (I), or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, for use in the treatment or prevention of a viral infection: wherein: A represents (F(II)) or (F(III)) B represents methyl or ethyl, R2 represents ethyl or isopropyl, R4 represents -CH2CH(CH3)CH3, -CH2CH(CH3)CH2CH3, -CH(CH3)CH3 or -CH(CH3)CH2CH3, and either (a) one of R1 and R1* represents hydrogen and the other represents methyl, and R3 represents -L3-G3, or (b) one of R1 and R1* represents hydrogen and the other represents -L1-G1, and R3 represents H, wherein L1 and L3 represent a direct bond, a C1-C6 alkylene group or a C2-C6 alkenylene group; and G1 and G3 represent a hydrogen atom, a -COOR' group, or a phenyl moiety which is unsubstituted or substituted by one, two or three substituents selected from a halogen atom, a -COOR' group, a -CONR'R" group, a hydroxyl group, a C1-C6 alkyl group and a C1-C6 alkoxy group, wherein R' and R" are the same or different and represent hydrogen or a C1-C6 alkyl group, provided that (a) G1 does not represent a hydrogen atom when Li represents a direct bond or methylene, and (b) G3 does not represent a hydrogen atom when L3 represents a direct bond or methylene. |
| IP Reference | WO2014132084 |
| Protection | Patent application published |
| Year Protection Granted | 2014 |
| Licensed | No |
| Impact | To be determined |
| Title | SUBSTITUTED NAPHTHALENE DIIMIDES AND THEIR USE |
| Description | The present invention relates to naphthalene diimides, NDIs, and methods of synthesising them. The NDIs have DNA-quadruplex binding and stabilising activity, and potential in treatment of pancreatic, prostate, and other human cancers. The NDIs are a compound of Formula I: |
| IP Reference | WO2020229840 |
| Protection | Patent application published |
| Year Protection Granted | 2020 |
| Licensed | Yes |
| Impact | Lead compound Licensed to Qualigen Tx January 2022 https://www.uclb.com/2022/01/19/qualigen-therapeutics-secures-worldwide-rights-to-g4-selective-transcription-inhibitors-from-ucl-to-develop-as-cancer-therapeutics/ |
| Company Name | Thiologics Limited |
| Description | Thiologics is a UCL Business PLC (UCLB) wholly owned company spun-out of UCL Chemistry. The company aims to commercialise new bioconjugation technologies developed in the laboratories of Professor Stephen Caddick and Dr James Baker. ThioLogics is particularly focused on delivering technology that will enable the construction of homogeneous antibody-drug conjugate therapeutics (ADCs). For further information, please contact Dr Chris Williams, Business Development Manager, c.williams@thiologics.com. |
| Year Established | 2011 |
| Impact | Development of novel highly specific linker technologies used in the generation of Antibody-Drug-Conjugates |
| Website | http://www.thiologics.com/ |