Pharmaceutical and Drug Discovery
This list is provided in alphabetical order by sponsor. Please scroll down for current opportunities.
Bayer HealthCare
Bayer HealthCare dedicates grants for the validation of promising targets and offers to bring in expertise, tools and technologies to help develop your ideas. Bayer's Grant4Targets program aims to create relationships with academia by conducting quarterly reviews where researchers may submit grant proposals for drug target research in the following areas: Support Grants and Focus Grants. The size of the individual grant will depend on the target specifics and the phase of validation, but is limited to a maximum of €125,000 (approximately $168,000). In addition to financial support, Bayer scientists may forge collaborations and provide in kind support in drug discovery and development.
The next semiannual review is March 31, 2012. UCSD Health Sciences is working with the Office of Contracts and Grants to better understand how the funding and intellectual property will be managed through this submission process. An update will be sent to faculty when we know more.
Please note that submissions will only be accepted through Bayer's submission platform on the website.
For more information please visit: www.grants4targets.com.
Bayer's interest in early discovery collaborations are in the following therapeutic areas:
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Cardiology / Hematology
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Women's Health Care
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Oncology
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- Pulmonary hypertension
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- Uterine Fibroids
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- Tumor Immunology
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- Heart Failure
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- Endometriosis
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- Anti-angiogenesis
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- Thrombosis / atrial fibrillation
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- Cell Cycle control / apoptosis
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- Hematology / Homeostasis
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- Transcription and chromatin modulation
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- Cardio-renal
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Additionally, Bayer is interested in novel drug discovery platforms, technologies and animal model systems.
UCSD contacts for questions and information:
William S. Ettouati, PharmD
Director, Industrial Relations & Development
Health Sciences Associate Clinical Professor, NS
wettouati@ucsd.edu or 858.699.5489
Andrew Wiseman, PhD
Corporate Business Development Officer
anwiseman@ucsd.edu or 858.822.1706
GlaxoSmithKline
GSK has initiated a new program; Discovery Partnerships with Academia, to focus resources on a small number of projects that they hope will eventually result in a drug candidate for clinical testing.
The key attributes of a successful candidate project are:
- Collaborative partnerships focused on drug discovery
- Starts at any point from initiation of early screening to late lead optimization
- Considers any disease area
- Operates world-wide
- Looks for a complementary match of skills where GSK can make a positive contribution to success
There is no due date for proposals to GSK, they will consider proposals any time as they are received and will then move forward with further discussions if the proposal is of interest to them. GSK would like the one page form (link at the bottom of this page), and maybe one or two more pages explaining your proposal, no more. The process is described in the slides (link also at the bottom of this page). Please send your proposal directly to the GSK team: Chari Smith PhD, Biology Leader US, Discovery Partnerships with Academia, chari.d.smith@gsk.com or to Jon L. Collins Ph.D., Chemistry Leader, Discovery Partnerships with Academia, at jon.l.collins@gsk.com.
If you are interested, please contact:
Andrew Wiseman, PhD
Corporate Business Development Officer
anwiseman@ucsd.edu or 858.822.1706.
Medical Research Council Technology (MRCT)
MRCT is interested in partnering with UCSD Health Science Faculty in drug discovery. The MRCT is part of the Medical Research Council, MRC (http://www.mrc.ac.uk/index.htm) which is the equivalent of the NIH in the UK.
MRC Technology was established in 2000 to protect and create commercial opportunities arising from the UK's Medical Research Council scientific discoveries. MRCT mission is to commercialize science and develop improved healthcare products. Today, MRCT is focused on partnering and licensing technologies, drug discovery and developing medical devices. To date MRCT has generated over £500 million which has been used to fund further MRC research. Expertise MRCT’s Centre for Therapeutics Discovery (CTD) is focused on drug discovery based around small molecule and therapeutic antibody development.
MRCT teams of scientists have a wealth of assay development, medicinal chemistry and pharmaceutical company drug discovery expertise. The CTD has state-of-the-art facilities and high quality, diverse chemical libraries. MRCT is currently collaborating with academic organizations from all over the world and are looking to establish additional collaborations.
At the bottom of this page you will find the MRCT slide presentation, MRCT questionnaire / triage form for potential projects, and an additional flyer with more information on MRCT and a link to their collaborations website.
If you are interested, please contact Williams Ettouati, Pharm.D., at wettouati@ucsd.edu or cell at 858.699.5489.
Proposals are due before February 15, 2012. Those selected for further discussion by the MRCT as a potential fit will have an opportunity to meet and discuss with MRCT representative on March 19, 2012 at UCSD.
UCSD contact for questions and information:
Williams S. Ettouati, Pharm.D.
Director, Industrial Relations & Development Health Sciences
Associate Clinical Professor, NS
wettouati@ucsd.edu or 858.699.5489
Novartis Institute for Biomedical Research (NIBR)
The NIBR is a world-class research organization with a unique research strategy driven by patient needs. Its research has intensifying focus on molecular pathways shared by various diseases and on integration of clinical insights with mechanistic understanding of disease. Its Research-to-Development transition is redefined through fast and rigorous "proof-of-concept" trials.
NIBR creates partnerships to access therapeutic products yet to show clinical proof-of-concept but which have the potential to address significant unmet medical need. They also create partnerships to access innovative technology platforms for novel drug discoveries, and explore and pursue opportunities outside the internal strategy that have the potential to set our future direction. It is therefore key for Novartis to establish strategic collaborations with academic institutions, research-based foundations, and biotech companies to strengthen NIBR's preclinical pipeline.
The following elements are the basis for evaluations and consideration of new targets and compounds:
-Unmet medical need
-The biology of the target is well validated
-The molecular target and mode of action are well understood
-Innovative technologies / platforms
A more detailed list of Novartis’s interest is available, please email Williams at wettouati@ucsd.edu
Novartis is also interested in exploring research collaborations with early stage projects if the area of research is considered of significant disruptive innovation.
Novartis rescheduled their visit to UCSD that was originally planned for February. The Novartis campus visit will now take place towards the end of March. If you would like an opportunity to meet with N.I.B.R. scientists please submit a non confidential proposal describing your interest for collaboration.
Important Dates & Deadlines:
Important Dates & Deadlines:
Proposals due: before March 5, 2012
Novartis visit: End March 2012
Novartis visit: End March 2012
Proposals and questions should be directed to:
William S. Ettouati, PharmD,
Director, Industrial Relations & Development,
Health Sciences Associate Clinical Professor, NS
wettouati@ucsd.edu or 858.699.5489
Novartis will evaluate research proposals using the following guidelines and expectations:
1. UCSD will send summary of projects to NIBR for selection and schedule of F2F meetings with strategic alliances (SA) and follow up presentation at UCSD in Feb. 2012 (selection of investigators to meet with will be done by SA together with relevant NIBR scientists in specific disease area or platform)
- here we do a first triage of projects
2. After the meeting in San Diego, NIBR SA will communicate back to NIBR's disease areas / platforms on projects discussed (usually we'll pass along presentations and have direct discussions based on the meeting above)
3. If NIBR scientists are interested in following up a defined project, SA will communicate to UCSD and schedule a conference call to put scientists together (always non-confidential)
4. If there is further interest in collaborating / licensing SA will put together a confidentiality agreement and schedule F2F meetings between scientists
5. SA will put together collaboration in place
Novo Nordisk Diabetes Innovation Award Program (DIAP)
Deadline: August 1, 2012 (8pm EST)
Novo Nordisk R&D has launched a research award program to support new and established scientists in their exploration of novel hypotheses in the area of diabetes and obesity research. The aim of this new research award program is to help scientists substantiate early innovation research efforts and clarify if their hypotheses could result in new treatment options for diabetes and obesity. The award program also targets novel research ideas that despite having potentially high impact would not normally attract funding from such institutions as the National Institutes of Health (NIH) or the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).
Under the program, Novo Nordisk R&D offers two types of research funding opportunities: "Early Research Exploration" or "Proof of Principle" awards. The awards are reserved for nonclinical research only and projects can be supported for up to two years under the program. DIAP focuses on biologics (protein-based) therapeutics (or targets readily amenable to such therapeutics). So proposals for either diabetes or obesity pre-clinical research within this field is encouraged. If you consider uploading information about DIAP on your Partnering site I suggest you had this clarification as researchers sometimes think differently about what constitutes biologics.
Apply directly at: Novo Nordisk (DIAP)
UCSD contact for questions and additional information:
Williams S. Ettouati, Pharm.D.
Director, Industrial Relations & Development Health Sciences
Associate Clinical Professor, NS
wettouati@ucsd.edu or 858.699.5489
Pfizer
In an innovative collaboration to speed the process of biologics drug discovery, UC San Diego and its partners have joined Pfizer, Inc. to create the San Diego Center for Therapeutic Innovation (CTI) and the application for CTI support is now open. Pre-proposals (3-5 pages max) are due by COB on November 10, 2011. Email your proposal to Jennifer J. Ford, Principal Contract and Grant Manager at OCGA: jjford@ucsd.edu
The CTI program is a collaboration between Pfizer and UCSD investigators to develop protein therapeutics (e.g., monoclonal antibodies, antibody variants, recombinant proteins, Fc-fusion, pegylated proteins, antibody and protein conjugates, bispecific antibodies and peptides) and take them through successful proof-of-mechanism studies in humans (generally phase I clinical trials). All researchers, clinicians and post-docs may apply. Pre-proposals will be selected by a 6-member Joint Steering Committee (JSC), with equal representation from UCSD and Pfizer. Selected pre-proposals will be invited to submit a full proposal to be written in collaboration with Pfizer scientists.
Key criteria for project selection and funding will include, among others:
- Strength of data supporting validation of the target
- Association to human disease
- Target druggable with protein therapeutic
- Scientific assets (including potential lead candidate drugs)
- Reasonable feasibility of scientific project
- Clear path forward to proof of mechanism studies in humans
~ Proposals that impact orphan or rare diseases are encouraged
Projects that are chosen will be supported by Pfizer-funded postdoctoral researchers that will be in the PI’s Lab, but expected to spend 30-50% of their time in the CTI lab(at the Pfizer La Jolla campus), working together with the Pfizer scientists. For each program, the JSC will approve 1-3 post doctoral fellows for a minimum of two years and a maximum of three years. This is the time anticipated to go from target concept to selection of a clinical candidate drug.
The information in the pre-proposal must not contain confidential information. Unpublished information should not be disclosed. If you are concerned about whether confidential information is included or if you feel you need to include confidential information in the proposal, please speak to Jennifer J. Ford
If you have questions or would like additional information, please contact:
Jennifer J. Ford, Principal Contract and Grant Manager
jjford@ucsd.edu or 858.534.3335.
For technical questions, please contact:
Andrew Wiseman, PhD
Corporate Business Development Officer
anwiseman@ucsd.edu or 858.822.1706
Roche - 2012 Round 1
Sponsor: F. Hoffman-La Roche Ltd.
Program: UCSD Health Sciences-Roche Extending Innovation Network
Internal Receipt Deadline: Monday, May 14, 2012. (4pm)
Award Amount: $100,000/year direct for two years.
Program: UCSD Health Sciences-Roche Extending Innovation Network
Internal Receipt Deadline: Monday, May 14, 2012. (4pm)
Award Amount: $100,000/year direct for two years.
The University of California San Diego is partnered with Roche through their Extending Innovation Network (EIN). The goal of this program is for Roche to gain exposure to new breakthroughs in biomedical science and technology via sponsorship of research projects that will lead to new discoveries, products or methodologies benefiting human health. Roche has similar relationships with Harvard, UCSF, and other universities.
The UCSD-Roche EIN is expected to fund about two investigator-initiated awards per cycle at approximately $100,000 per year direct costs for a maximum duration of two years each. Roche may also provide in-kind contributions to the project, subject to agreement with the PI. In-kind contributions might include, for example, scientific advice, cell lines, compounds, or toxicology screening. Note that in-kind support affects Roche’s intellectual property rights. Interested faculty may also review the contract between Roche and UCSD.
The first EIN review cycle, held in 2011, led to three funded projects, which are now under way.
For this second cycle, Roche has provided a more specific list of their interests, which we have summarized as follows:
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Virology, including HIV, RSV, HCV, papillomavirus; structural biology and computer modeling; immunity; host factors and the role of host genetic variation; infection dynamics.
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Bioinformatics, including prediction of protein posttranslational modifications; modeling of complex biological systems; data integration; computational innovations to address massive datasets; in silico modeling.
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Miscellaneous, including certain aspects of renal disease; methods of targeting of protein-protein interactions; macrophage biology.
The detailed list will be provided upon request to faculty who are considering a proposal, with the understanding that it shall not be circulated further.
Roche also remains open to innovative applications on topics not listed here.
Please contact hsfunding@ucsd.edu with questions or the UCSD EIN Program Steering Committee Contacts:
Dr. Joan Heller Brown, Chair for Pharmacology at UCSD (brownoffice@ucsd.edu)
Dr. Mike Gilson, Director of the Drug Discovery Institute at UCSD (mgilson@ucsd.edu)
See attached Roche RFA at bottom of page for submittal requirements.
Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology (SAIT)
Program: 2012 University Research RFP
OCGS Internal Deadline: Friday, June 8, 2012. - Submit to Jennifer J. Ford (Contact info below)
Sponsor Deadline: Friday, June 15, 2012.
Award: $100K and incurring overhead as agreed between OCGA & SAIT
Samsung’s leadership seeks submission of proposals from UC San Diego for the 2012 University Research RFP process. A total of 15 Themes and 71 Subject Areas of funding in research opportunities will be provided by the Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology (SAIT).
Health Sciences themes are the following:
-Biomedical Science & Engineering
-Biotherapeutics
-Medical Technology
-Metabolic Engineering
For general information or for details on each research theme follow link and click on “Apply for GRO”: SAIT-Samsung
See attached PDF at bottom of page for complete list of Reaseach Themes and Subject Areas.
UCSD Contacts:
Jennifer J. Ford
Principal Contract and Grant Manager
Contract & Grant Administration
Phone: 858-534-3335
Andrew Wiseman, Ph.D.
Corporate Business Development Officer
UC San Diego Health Sciences
Phone: 858-822-1706
Cell: 858-922-6795
Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)
Interested in collaborating with small business?
Learn more about SBIR Grants for Health Sciences Faculty to Collaborate With Small Companies
The SBIR program provides significant funding to small companies for early stage product development ideas. Although the Company must apply for the SBIR Grant, they can include and direct some of the funding to faculty collaborations. Phase 1 funding is up to $150,000 total funding for six months. Phase 2 funding is up to $1,000,000 total funding over two years. The NIH provides about $600 million in SBIR funding per year.
Introduction: The Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs currently invest about $2.5 billion each year in small research and development companies through a highly competitive award process administered in phases by large federal agencies and overseen by the U.S. Small Business Administration. These programs have been widely praised by groups such as the National Academies and have played a role in the emergence of companies like Qualcomm, Symantec, and many others since the program was created in 1982. You can get more information about the SBIR Program at http://www.sbir.gov.
The NIH and other agencies fund both grants and contracts. The contracts are based on specific solicitations and can be found at http://www.sbir.gov/solicitations. Each year, Health and Human Services provides about $640 million in funding.
SBIR Mission and Program Goals: The mission of the SBIR program is to support scientific excellence and technological innovation through the investment of Federal research funds in critical American priorities to build a strong national economy.
The program’s goals are four-fold:
· Stimulate technological innovation
· Meet Federal research and development needs.
· Foster and encourage participation in innovation and entrepreneurship by socially and economically disadvantaged persons.
· Increase private-sector commercialization of innovations derived from Federal research and development funding.
For additional information, please refer to the SBIR information sheet and overview slides that are found at the bottom of this page.
UCSD Contact for questions:
Andrew Wiseman PhD
Corporate Business Development Officer
anwiseman@ucsd.edu or 858-822-1706
Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Liminted (TCAL)
Deadline: March 12, 2012
Takeda California, Inc. (TCAL) is the Center for Excellence in Structure Based Drug Discovery and Antibody Research for Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited. TCAL’s therapeutic areas of interest are oncology, metabolic disease, inflammation and CNS.
TCAL invites academic researchers and their institutions to contact TCAL with non-confidential drug discovery-related proposals for potential research collaborations with TCAL. Proposals will be evaluated based on (i) the time and effort required to progress the collaboration to the clinical evaluation of a novel therapeutic agent; (ii) the associated project risks; and (iii) the potential commercial opportunity. For proposals that are found to be of interest, TCAL will enter into confidentiality agreements and entertain more detailed confidential proposals and discussions regard a potential collaboration.
A complete program description can be found at the bottom of this page.
UCSD contacts for questions and additional information:
Andrew Wiseman Ph.D.
Corporate Business Development Officer
Health Sciences
University of California, San Diego
Phone: (858) 822-1706
Kathryn A. Nguyen, Ph.D.
Director of Development & Global Alliances
Assistant Clinical Professor, NS
Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
University of California, San Diego
Phone: (858) 822-5510
nguyenka@ucsd.edu
Director of Development & Global Alliances
Assistant Clinical Professor, NS
Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
University of California, San Diego
Phone: (858) 822-5510
nguyenka@ucsd.edu
DOWNLOADABLE INFORMATION BELOW (See corresponding title)
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| CTI_Pfizer_ Pre-Proposal IP Questionnaire.docx | 31.25 KB |
| CTI_Pfizer_ Town Hall -presentation.pptx | 4.12 MB |
| CTI_Pfizer_RFA Pre-Proposal Template.docx | 45.7 KB |
| GSK_DPAc Project Form.docx | 68.33 KB |
| GSK_DPAc-Overview Aug 2011 ($ for DPAc).pdf | 789.99 KB |
| MRCT talk at SSPPS Dec2011.pdf | 991.4 KB |
| MRCT_CFT_Submissions_Guide.pdf | 622.06 KB |
| MRCT Call for Targets proposal form.doc | 61.5 KB |
| Roche-EIN-RFA Round2 April2012.pdf | 274.75 KB |
| 2012 Samsung GRO RFP Themes Subject Areas (2).pdf | 1.06 MB |
| SBIR Overview_UCSD.pdf | 353.31 KB |
| SBIR Overview Slides_25Jan12.pdf | 125.98 KB |
| TCAL - Academic Collaboration Request.pdf | 117.33 KB |