The Innovative Targets Portfolio: Basic Life Sciences Research to Novel Therapies, through a Portfolio of Small Molecule Translational Projects

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The University of Dundee and its Drug Discovery Unit (DDU) is converting world-class discovery research into patient benefit through a portfolio of small molecule translational projects, the Innovative Targets Portfolio (ITP). The ITP, initiated by an MRC-DPFS devolved portfolio and extended with Confidence in Concept (CiC) awards, is a collaborative activity between the DDU and groups in and outside Dundee who wish to translate their discovery research.
The primary goal of the ITP is to de-risk novel targets and mechanisms to the stage that the BioPharma industry is willing to partner the project for development into marketed therapies to address unmet medical need. The ITP is a dynamic initiative, with projects entering and leaving the portfolio in a continuous rolling process.
Although the ITP is supported by a range of funding streams, these funds are insufficient to meet the demand from multiple potential collaborators, both within Dundee and across the UK, who have identified novel potential drug targets and are seeking to translate their ideas.
A renewed and expanded CiC award would support multiple hit discovery campaigns and hit series validation projects by the DDU. The aim is to determine the druggability/ligandability of novel targets/mechanisms and to identify high quality hit series, validated in cell-based models. The requested resources will synergise with the ITP team members supported through other funding routes, providing excellent added-value to the Confidence in Concept award.
We believe a portfolio approach is the best way to maximise resource in early stage drug discovery. This approach allows multiple projects to rapidly access an appropriate amount of hit discovery and medicinal chemistry, in a cost-effective way, to assess whether they justify further drug discovery efforts and progression towards in vivo evaluation. This will be achieved using appropriate funding streams e.g. MRC-DPFS/DCS scheme.
The University of Dundee has the infrastructure and experience required to continue to deliver success under further Confidence in Concept award, including: assay development, hit discovery, medicinal and computational chemistry, and pharmacokinetics.