OMAHA, Neb. (May 5, 2010)—UNMC is now a registered participant for a new Phenotypic Drug Discovery (PD2) program. Eli Lilly and Company, one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies, has launched the new drug discovery initiative created to identify new molecules that display activity in relevant disease models and that can serve as a foundation for the development of research collaborations between Eli Lilly and external researchers for the development of new therapeutic molecules.
The program allows UNMC researchers to submit potential therapeutic compounds for phenotypic drug screening. Researchers can submit compound structures by completing a New Invention Notification (NIN) through the UNeMed office. NIN forms are available on line at billowy-sleep.flywheelsites.com. The NIN will then be reviewed, by the UNeMed staff and if approved the researcher will receive an affiliation code to submit the compound(s) on line to Eli Lilly and Company.
If selected by Eli Lilly, the compounds will be screened for activity in five phenotypic assay modules: Alzheimer’s disease, Cancer (cell cycle arrest), Cancer (Anti-Angiogensis), Diabetes, and Bone Formation. Promising results may lead to a license agreement or collaboration between Eli Lilly and UNMC to further develop the drug molecules. Any UNMC researchers, who are interested in participating in this program, should contact Licensing Specialist Matt Boehm, PhD, mboehm@unmc.edu or 9-2166 in the UNeMed office for further details.
“The PD2 program provides a unique opportunity for UNMC researchers to gain valuable information about their compounds. This initiative also gives us a potential route to develop collaborations with a major pharmaceutical company,” said Dr. Boehm.
PD2 Website for more detailed information:
