UoDundee Confidence in Concept 2013

Lead Research Organisation: University of Dundee
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

10 25 50
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Martins Da Silva SJ (2017) Drug discovery for male subfertility using high-throughput screening: a new approach to an unsolved problem. in Human reproduction (Oxford, England)

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Prati F (2018) Screening of a Novel Fragment Library with Functional Complexity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis InhA. in ChemMedChem

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Varshney D (2016) Molecular basis of RNA guanine-7 methyltransferase (RNMT) activation by RAM. in Nucleic acids research

 
Description A Centre of Excellence for Lead Optimisation for Diseases of the Developing World
Amount £100,000 (GBP)
Funding ID OPP1066891 
Organisation Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation 
Sector Charity/Non Profit
Country United States
Start 07/2013 
End 06/2018
 
Description BHF translational fund
Amount £300,000 (GBP)
Organisation British Heart Foundation (BHF) 
Sector Charity/Non Profit
Country United Kingdom
Start 04/2018 
End 03/2020
 
Description Confidence in Concept 2014
Amount £700,000 (GBP)
Funding ID MC_PC_14099 
Organisation Medical Research Council (MRC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 03/2015 
End 08/2016
 
Description Institutional Strategic Support Fund Y4-5
Amount £550,000 (GBP)
Organisation Wellcome Trust 
Department Wellcome Trust Institutional Strategic Support Fund
Sector Charity/Non Profit
Country United Kingdom
Start 10/2014 
End 09/2016
 
Description project grant
Amount £261,067 (GBP)
Organisation Arch Therapeutics 
Sector Private
Country United States
Start 01/2017 
End 12/2019
 
Description project grant
Amount £209,048 (GBP)
Organisation Versus Arthritis 
Sector Charity/Non Profit
Country United Kingdom
Start 01/2014 
End 12/2016
 
Description project grant
Amount £69,984 (GBP)
Organisation Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation 
Sector Charity/Non Profit
Country United States
Start  
 
Description strategic award
Amount £3,120,698 (GBP)
Organisation Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation 
Sector Charity/Non Profit
Country United States
Start 07/2013 
End 07/2018
 
Description Hit TB TbCoABC sub-project 
Organisation Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH)
Country United States 
Sector Charity/Non Profit 
PI Contribution Data and assays generated by the CiC supported HTS project. The hit Tb grant (our funded resource from the collaboration) we will support 1 FTE years chemistry and computational chemistry plus purchasing of commercial analogues of the hits.
Collaborator Contribution Structural biology Tb cell biology and animal model work on selected examples. Fragment screening data and assays.
Impact To early to generate defined outputs
Start Year 2015
 
Description InhA fragment based lead generation - Tres Cantos Open Lab award 
Organisation GlaxoSmithKline (GSK)
Country Global 
Sector Private 
PI Contribution Data from NMR fragment screen supported by Dundee CiC award. Project management, Drug Discovery leadership from DDU Tb group. UoD funding will also support Lead opinimsation efforts arrising from this work.
Collaborator Contribution Chemistry supported by open lab award. Structural biology, biochemical screening for InhA, early efficacy and tox assays.
Impact Access to GSK models and systems. Funding for Medicinal chemistry posts.
Start Year 2015
 
Description Investment Partnership Agreement 
Organisation Perceptive Bioscience Holdings Ltd
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution The University has signed an Investment Partnership Agreement with Perceptive that will allow the DDU to further translate programmes developed with MRC CiC funding up to preclinical candidates.
Collaborator Contribution Perceptive will underwrite the CURE Fund for up to 10 years.
Impact The investment sum will be disclosed later in the year.
Start Year 2016
 
Description MKK4 Research Collaboration 
Organisation University Hospital Erlangen
Country Germany 
Sector Hospitals 
PI Contribution Following a visit from Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund who were looking to fund a new company in Germany we were introduced to a group based in the University Hospital Tuebingen. The group had developed some novel biology around the role of MKK4 in liver regeneration but did not have any good chemical matter to start a drug discovery programme. The DDU initiated a collaboration with the University Hospital Tuebingen to develop a new assay and screen against MKK4. The University Hospital Tuebingen had an option to use the data to help the formation of a new company but with Dundee having rights to the data if the company was not formed. In the collaboration the UHT supplied the protein and transferred their assay. Dundee developed a new assay and performed a diversity screen. UHD will be given access to tool molecules.
Collaborator Contribution In the collaboration the UHT supplied the protein and transferred their assay. UHD will also run Dundee tool molecules in thei biology systems.
Impact UHT have now established Heparegenix based on the research from UHT adn the data produced by Dundee. A research agreement is now in place between Heparegenix and Dundee whereby Heparegenix will acquire sole rights to the Dundee data for a fee of £154,000 from their first funding round due to complete in Spring 2016.
Start Year 2015
 
Description Research Collaboration Agreement with AstraZeneca 
Organisation AstraZeneca
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Private 
PI Contribution Dundee presented a drug target that had been screened in the DDU in 2013. Confirmed hits were optimised but not further developable. We discussed with AZ a desire to screen against a different library to look for new start points
Collaborator Contribution AZ have provided diversity and fragment libraries to Dundee
Impact A new diversity screen will be completed q1 2017
Start Year 2016
 
Description Ubiquigent - DDU: DUB library 
Organisation Ubiquigent
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Private 
PI Contribution The University of Dundee Drug Discovery Unit has developed a 500 member compound library of novle De-ubiquitinase targeted inhibitors. UoD has conducted pre-commercialisation basic research including developing in silico models of compound binding, virtual screening and library design and synthesis. The library that was generated was of sufficient interest to Ubiquigent that they wish to develop the asset as a new product line as part of a profit sharing agreement with UoD.
Collaborator Contribution Using their DUB profiler platform, Ubiquigent are characterising the molecules developed by the University of Dundee Drug discovery group to determine whether novel DUB inhibitors have been identified. Ubiquigent are also developing a marketing and sales strategy around the DUB libray as a first of its kind product line. Ubiquigent will also conduct the sales and compound logistic elements of any commercialisaiton activities on the project.
Impact Characterisation activities are ongoing but an agreement has been signed to cover commercialisaiton of the compound library
Start Year 2015