GSK launches drug discovery challenge in Australia

Healthcare company GSK has launched its Discovery Fast Track Australian Challenge, a program designed to accelerate the translation of early-stage research into game-changing new medicines. The goal of the challenge is to uncover the best opportunities for discovery research.

Since its initial launch in 2013, the annual Discovery Fast Track Challenge has attracted more than 1100 proposals from more than 300 universities, academic research institutions and hospitals in 28 counties. Previous entries have focused on a broad range of disease areas, including malaria, antibiotic resistance and certain types of cancer.

Australian scientists are now invited to participate in the challenge by submitting details about the biological targets or pathways they are researching, along with scientific rationale detailing how this early-stage research could direct future drug development. GSK will shortlist finalists based on the strength of the scientists’ hypotheses, originality, initial progress and the ability to deliver on an unmet medical need.

Scientists whose entries are selected will have the chance to collaborate with GSK’s research teams to test their hypotheses on potential disease pathways or targets against the company’s extensive library of compounds. In addition, up to $75,000 will be provided to winners to conduct supportive research for the collaboration.

If a compound is identified during this process that shows activity against these pathways or targets, and could form the starting point for the development of a new medicine, the winning investigators could be offered a formal DPAc partnership and opportunity to work together on the development of a potential new medicine.

GSK Executive Director, Leader Biology Discovery Partnerships with Academia Future Pipeline Discovery Andy Pope said collaboration with academics provides a highly powerful approach to the development of important new medicines.

“A critical early step in the discovery of new medicines is the identification of chemical starting points which target novel disease mechanisms,” he said. “Often, the capabilities required to achieve this are only available within the labs of major pharmaceutical companies.

“Through the Discovery Fast Track Challenge, we have now collaborated with over 30 researchers around the world to perform high-throughput screening in order to progress ideas which could lead to important new medicines. We are very excited to now bring this program to Australian researchers, allowing them an opportunity to access these capabilities for the first time.”

Submissions will be open until 27 April. For more information, visit http://openinnovation.gsk.com/challenge-australia.html.

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